^f^ld^/l^L.. A3), 
Wxt JttHer Worthies' pkarg. 



THE 

POEMS 



JOSEPH FLETCHER, M.A. 

h 

EECTOE OF WILBY, SUFFOLK I 



THE FIRST TIME EDITED AND RE-PRINTED. 



Itmoxwl-^utxohutixaxt uvfo |§trrto 



KEY. ALEXANDER B. GEOSAET, 

/ 

st. geokge's, blackbubn, lancashiee. 



PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 

1869. 



156 copies only. 



A s my 






ov 



,\* 



ft' 



.4 



' i 



I am thankful that on revision of the volume, the l faultes 
escaped ' prove neither very numerous nor onerous. In 
recording them here, I may he allowed to revive the 
counsel aud apology of Db. Robert Records in his 
1 Castle of Knowledge ' (1556) : 

" Though faultes ofte times doo much ahounde, 
When men doo leaste suche chaunce suspecte : 
Yet good redresse maye sooue he founde, 
If faultes "bee spied and full detecte. 
But who that will in woorke proceede, 
And seeke not first the faultes t' amend, 
I promise him smalle gaine in deede, 
Thonghe truthe to seeke hee doo pretend : 
Therefore amend if thou wilt speede 
These faultes, ere thou on mee doo reade." 

Page 42, last line, read further not furter. 
„ 51, line 34th, insert ev'n hefore all. 
„ 80, line 18th, read diddest not diedst 
„ 102, line 58th, read stood not soodt. 
„ 127, foot-note 1, line second, read says not say. 

a. 



$U*xM ill 
Cr JSV 



* 



TO 

M.A., F.S.A., 

RURAL DEAN; 

RECTOR OF STAND, NEAR MANCHESTER ; 

YICAR OF NORTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE; 

AUTHOR OF ' COLLECTANEA ANGLO-POETICA,' ETC. ; 

I DEDICATE 



First Reprint 



THE ORIGINALS BEING AMONG THE MANY TREASURES 
— FREELY SHAHED — OF HIS 



l#mque Library : 



WITH MUCH REGARD, 



ALEXANDER B. GBOSART, 



f refatorg #tote. 




IS" our Memorial-Introduction will be found 
such information concerning this Worthy 
and his Poems, as survives/ Thither I 
refer the Eeader. But here I wish to call atten- 
tion to the five interesting and admirably taken 
and as admirably rendered Illustrations with which 
our large paper copies are enriched, Not one has 
before been taken : and they have all been specially 
and exclusively furnished for our book : the draw- 
ings being removed from the plates when our 
very limited requisite impressions were worked 
off. For the whole of these, as well as the fac- 
simile of a most characteristic autograph, I owe 
right hearty thanks to my gifted artist-friend, 
the Rev. W. Francis Francis, Great Saxham 
Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds — who has also been 
ingenious in devising ways of rendering help for 
this and other of our Worthies. 

I unite with him the Eev. Samuel Cross, M.A., 
Curate of Wilby, and the Rev. 0. Lewis A.1L 

B 



VI. P-REPATOEY NOTE. 

Yicar of Ilkets-Hall, for their most diligent co-op- 
eration with me in local inquiries and researches. 
I owe also my best thanks to the Rev. Thomas 
Corser, M.A., of Stand Rectory, and to Mr. "W. C. 
Hazlitt, for the use of the extremely rare original 
editions of the two Poems. 

Throughout; as hitherto, I reproduce the text 
in integrity of orthography, with the slight excep- 
tion of occasional reductions of the use of capitals 
and italics, and the introduction of the apostrophe, 
and capitals for all the divine names — nouns and 
pronouns — and for impersonations. "With regard 
to orthography it is true that it is arbitrary, e.g. 
we have dull and dul, odd and od, sweat and 
sweate, and the like : but this is in itself all- 
important philologically, and as bearing on the 
gradual fixing of our present spelling and forms. 
Further details may be looked for in the Notes, 
larger and lesser. Turn the page for Contents of 
the volume and for list of the Illustrations, as 
above, 

A. B. G. 



Content*,- 



PAGE. 

I. Dedication .......,, .,....*«...;.., i-r-ii- 

II. Prefatory Note ....... a ............... . v— vi. 

III. Memorial-Introduction .,...,.., ... lx-~ xxviiL 

IY. Remarks on the Poems ; ... . 1 — 16. 

V. [i] The Perfect-Cursed-Blessed-Man .... 

(1) Note ,, 18—22. 

(2) Epistle Dedicatory 23—28, 

(3) To the learned judicious Readers ...... 29 — 44. 

(4) To the Courteous Reader 45 c 

The Poem , , 

(1) The Argument , . . , 47; 

(2) The Argument enlarged 47. 

(3) The Author's preamble upon it , , , 58 — 49. 

Man's Excellencie by his Generation 49 — 63. 

Man's Miserie by his Degeneration 64 — 77. 

Man's Felicitie consulted of 78 — 97. 

Man's Felicitie Procured 98—119. 

Additional Notes 121—124. 

VI. [n] Christe's Bloodie Sweat. , 

(1 Note 126 

(2) Epistle Dedicatory , 127—128, 

(3) To such as shall poruse this book 129 — 1 30, 



Vlll. CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

The Poem. 131—227. 

Note 228. 

VIL [m] A small addition 229 230, 

YIII. Errata , . , , , 231. 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

1. Tillage of Wilby, Suffolk Before title-page. 

2. The Church of Wilby, with fac-simile of 

autograph , , xi v . 

3. The old Rectory of Wilby ; X vi. 

4. The Font. ................ t xv ijij 

5. The South Porch ...,,.......,,, xx . 



Jftetmrrial Jntrobuxta* 




HE name of 

&B*t$$ $ltit\tt f 
like all too many of the finely-modest, 
shy, self-forgetting Worthies of this so opulent 
and therefore careless England of ours — will be 
sought in vain, in the usual biographic and County- 
historic authorities. Even Bibliographers such as 
Mr. Collier and Mr. Hazlitt, will be found some- 
what at fault. 

One sickens with hope deferred, for the long- 
promised, long-lingering ' Biographia Britannica ' 
that is to do ultimate justice to the really memor- 
able names of our Country : and alike by 
deposition and restoration, meet the brave protest 
— that every one knows — of William Cowpee. 

As in the Past, I have found my endeavours to 
get at Eacts — outward and inward — of this Singer 
of the olden time, very much like trying to trace 
lineage and descent of a song-Bird — nightingale 
in its bosky hermitage or sky -lark in the blinding 



^^ 



X. JOIMOMAX-IlfTBODirCTIOS . 

light — or to chronicling the springing and fading of 
a Flower — rose in Garden or primrose in "Wood- 
land. Bird and flower came and passed away, 
come and go still, from season to season, filling 
their God-given part. Vain to tell the hearts 
they reached, the eyes they brightened, the lives 
they made softer, tenderer, purer, through their 
singing and springing. And so I have found it 
over and over with the Worthies whose books it 
has been my ' labour of love ' to revive and 
illustrate. At this late day we are 'far off/ and 
the light is dim, and the records scanty : adequate 
remembrance as adequate knowledge only with 
Him Who is the Biographer of the least and low- 
liest. It will be all right yet : for as Eichard 
Sibbes puts it " There will be a resurrection of 
credits, as well as of bodies. We'll have glory 
enough, by and by ". 1 Meantime I am glad that 
for little more than two lines hitherto, I am able 
to fill profitably a goodly number of pages, bio- 
graphically. 2 

1 My edition of his Works : Memoir, Yol. I. p xxiv. 

2 I had left only a sheet Of 16 pages for preliminary 
matter: but my materials in the interval grew. To 
meet the difficulty, and to fit in with the Poems, 
I mark the folios of the Memorial-Introduction proper with 
Roman numerals : and so double the available space, and 
allow of Remarks on the Poems in the allotted 16 pages. 



MEM0RIAL-LN T TE0I)UG1I0A . XI. 

I have not succeeded in connecting our Joseph 
Fletcher with any of the Fletchers named in our 
memoirs of Giles and Phineas Fletcher. Like the 
former a " preacher of God's "Word," in Suffolk, \ 
unlike him, I cannot tell his birth-place or l stock. 7 
His birth-year must have been 1576 or 1577 : for 
as we shall see, he died i aged 60, ' in 1637, 

Where, and under what circumstances, he 
received his home-and school training, is at present 
unknown. His University was probably Oxford : 
his College, St. John's. From lacking Registers 
— it must be assumed, — Anthony a- Wood gives us 
no help in either " Athenae " or " Fasti." I con- 
jecture Oxford, because the somewhat uncommon 
surname ' Ioseph Fletcher ' occurs in 1607 in " An 
Account of the Christmas Prince, as it was 
Exhibited in the University of Oxford in the year 
1607. Now first published from the Original 
Manuscript. London 1816 (4o) x This was a 

1 Misc. Antiqua ^.nglicana (Triphook). I am indebted 
to Mr. Hazlitt for this reference. It may be worth-while 
giving the Editor's explanation of the i Christmas Prince ' : 
— " There can be little difficulty in assigning the origin 
of The Christmas Prince to a custom of high antiquity 
and general usage — This was the feast of the Boy-Bishop, 
as it was called, a ceremony which was celebrated with 
great splendor on the feast of St. Nicholas, or the Holy 



Xil - MEMORIAL-US lEODTJCTlON. 

burlesque-pageant, carried out with very fantastic- 
alness of quaint titles and as quaint ceremonial. 



Innocents. On this occasion it was customary, in all 
Cathedral Churches, (and probably in most large and 
opulent parishes,) for some one of the children of the choir 
to bear the title and state of a bishop, to wear the episcopal 
robes, and to exact obedience from his companions, who 
were habited like priests : nay, singular as it may appear, 
they took possession of the church ; and, except mass, 
performed all the ceremonies and offices of religion " (pp. 
vii— viii: and following are considerable quotations and 
authorities elucidative and illustrative.) The Christmas 
Prince was thus the after-" lord of misrule or master of 
merry disports" in the Feast of Christmas ; and the cele- 
bration of St. John's may be compared with later at The 
Temple and elsewhere. It will be noted as above that 
< Mr. Laude,' afterwards the ill-fated Archbishop of Can- 
terbury, was one of the performers with our Fletcher and 
the rest— most, becoming clergymen and dignitaries in The 
Church. The " coppye " of a mocke " bill " is signed after 
the " Lord Elect " by < Ioseph Fletcher ' first of all, and 
then by other nine. In the list of " taxes and subsidies 
graunted" he appears as "S*. Fletcher Xs"same as Laud 
and Juxon and saintly Richard Holbrooke. Finally it is 
to be noted that the 'Enterlude', entitled " The Seven 
Dayes of the Week" in this odd Entertainment is almost 
wholly in the same stanza with " Christe's Bloodie Sweat,' : 
and that by ' batchelours ' performing I understand 
simply that they were unmarried, 



MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTIOK. Xlll. 

Our Fletcher — if 1607, or his 30th year, be not 
too late, and probably it is not, as Laud, who 
also took part in it was in his 34th year — appears 
as "the right honourable Ioseph, Lord Fletcher, 
Lord High Admirall, great Comaunder of all y e 
narrow seas, floods and passages; Suruayer of 
y e JNauye, Mayster of y e Ordinance," &c, &c, 
&c. One thing is plain: his ' Epistles' to his 
Poems, and allusions in the poems themselves, 
throw out hints of frivolities — as afterwards re- 
garded — that fall in with gaieties of the sort 
common to such performances as this of the 
" Christmas Prince." Thus in " Christe's Bloodie 
Sweat " you read : 

" Thou . . . that hast spent thy best of dayes 
In thriftlesse rimes — sweet baytes to poyson youth — 
Led with the wanton hopes of laude and praise, 
Yaine shadowes of delight, seales of vntruth ; 
Now I impose new taskes vppon thy pen, 
To shew My sorrowes to the eyes of men." 

(Pages 132—133.) 

Towards the close of the Poem, he recals very 
pathetically, early waste of time and energies on 
worse than trifles. The two italicized words 
exactly apply to the like of the ' Christmas Prince' 
festivities : 



X1T. MEMOEIAL-INTRODUCTION. 

" The houres and daies which I haue spent in vaine 

In fraitlesse studies and inuentive pleasure, 

Redeeme O Christ ! and call them backe againe ; 

Doe not, in iudgment, mine offences measure 
But in Thy mercies hide my faults ; protect 
My sighes, let Thy loue couer my defect. 5 ' (p. 223.) 

We have other autobiographic touches of extraor- 
dinary interest. I adduce two : 

— " Blessedly hereafter shall succeed 
Thy studies and thy labours, if thou shunne 
The path that thou hast trode, and wilt take heed 
To vndoe the many follies thou hast done : 
For if thou hast respect ynto My Lawes 
Before My Father I will plead thy cause." (p. 226.) 

Similarly, he denounces himself as having served 
" two double apprentiships, to eiTOur." 1 — perhaps 
an allusion to his age. Behind these plaints lies 
the old, old story from Augustine to Luther, and 
from Luther to John Eunyan. More light stream- 
ing in and really more holiness: but a deeper 
insight, and a loftier ideal and grander up-look, 
and then penitent prostration. It will be remem- 
bered too that Phineas and Giles Fletcher, especi- 
ally Phineas, make kindred confessions/ 

The title-page of the " Perfect- Cursed-Blessed- 

1 Page 223. 



MEMOHIAL-INTEODTTCTION, X V.- 

Man " bears that lie was " Master of Arts." In 
its Epistle-dedicatory to Sir Anthony Wingfield, 
we are told he was chaplain to his father's house, 
the words being " who never entertained any 
other chaplain, but mine unworthy selfe "r 1 and 
the same Epistle would seem to intimate that he 
owed his presentation to his life-long and only 
* living ' of "Wilby, to the same good friend. 2 

We have been enabled to recover an authorit- 
ative notice of his coming to Wilby, from its 
Church Register : 

"1609: Memorandum, That Joseph Fletcher, 
parson of Wilby, did publiquely read the Articles 
[appointed to be read by every Incumbent, within 
two months after Induction] in the Parish Church 
of Wilby, on Sunday the eight of October, in 
tyme of divine service, and did openly giue his 
full assent and consent to them all, in the presence 
of the whole congregation " : with a list of names 
witnessing. 

Thus i inducted ' in 1 609, he was not long of 
taking unto himself an ' help-meet. 7 His wooing 
had in all liklihood begun if not ended, before his 
settlement at Wilby. His marriage is registered 
in the Church-books of both the Parishes, that is 

1 Page 25. 2 Pages 25—26. 



XVI. MEMORIAL- INTRODUCTION. 

of bride and groom. At Wilby— - where it never 
seems to have been sought for before us— it rung 
as follows : 

" 1610. May: Joseph Fletcher, parson of 
Wilbie, and Grace Ashley, daughter of Hugh 
Ashley, Yicar of St. Margretts, Ilkets-hall, were 
married in the Parish Church of St. Margretts, 
the tenth day." 

The Ilkets-hall Eegister adds, that the father of 
the maiden officiated. 1 Ilkets-hall is a district in 



1 The County-histories, and even the Davy MSS. of the 
British Museum, yield nothing on the Vicar, Hugh or as 
he sometimes signed, Hugo Ashley. The Registers of the 
Parish begin in the year 1538, and continue in the same 
handwriting till 1601 : but each page is signed at the foot, 
Hugh Ashley, till 1619. The signature is never Hugo 
till after 1601 : but thereafter it is sometimes one and 
sometimes the other. In 1625 (2d May) his burial is 
entered. Is is clear that either the Vicar signed the R egis- 
ter as simply certifying it to be accurate from the out- 
set, or as his property for the time being ; or that it was 
a succession of two Hugh Ashleys. The present Vicar 
reckons up and pronounces that he must have been a very 
old man if he were Vicar from 1538 to 1625, and that his 
family must have been born late in life : but as these two 
years cover 87 years, it is plain that one or other of the 
above explanations is the right one. 



MEMOBIAL-INTEODTJCTION. XV11. 

Wangford Hundred ; Suffolk; so that the fair 
i Grace ' had not very far to go on leaving the 
"old folks at home". She was horn 11th of 
August 1583: and thus was in her 27th year, 
while her husband was in his 33rd year, on their 
marriage. 

"Wilby is a Parish, somewhat scattered, in the 
Eastern division of Suffolk, eight miles from Eye 
on the "West — where a branch of the Great 
Eastern Railway comes — and seven miles from 
Eramlingham, where there is another branch of 
the Great Eastern. The country — as for many 
generations, — is strictly agricultural, and has an 
aspect that reminds us of Holland — but to lovers 
of quiet little bits of rural scenery, reveals secrets 
of beauty. The roads — there are no turnpikes — 
are kept by Way-wardens belonging to each 
Parish, and are most circuitous and winding, and 
for miles around, — as throughout this part of 
Suffolk, — lead nowhere but to the nearest village 
Church. The farms are very neat and picturesque 
with their broad moats — often double ones — high- 
pitched thatched roofs, covered with grey lichens 
and now green and now tawny moss. The walls, 
if not of moulded brick, are built of mud bricks 
baked in the sun, covered with lime cement, and 
colored mostly white, sometimes buff and some- 



XV111. MEMORIAL-INTRODTJCTIOK. 

times of pinkish tint. It is a freshening sight, 
the overhanging vines which are found on almost 
every cottage : and the gardens in front, perhaps 
as fragrant, and certainly as beautiful,— with 
their mixed beds of old-fashioned English flowers, 
— as can be found in any other part of England. 

The Church of Wilby— see our Illustration 1 — is 
a singularly handsome and most interesting build- 
ing. It consists of nave, south aisle, and spacious 
chancel. "Without, the south Porch — again see 
Illustration — of recessed panel work of black flint, 
is preeminently beautiful. "Within, the wood- 
work of the oak stalls is elaborately carven, and 
the whole interior noticeable, excepting an ugly 
gallery at the west end, and high unsightly pews 
— dormitories — in the chancel and east part of the 
nave. The oak seats — all ancient — represent in 
their carvings, the seven sacraments of Popish 
days, and various rites of the Church. Portions of 
the windows, — once elaborately filled with stained 
glass, — remain, and are exquisitely painted. The 
Font — turn to our Illustration — is a work of art, 
well worthy of study by lovers of the intricate 
and graceful carving of Mediaeval times. It is 



1 In large paper copies only are the Illustrations 
given. See Prefatory Kote. 



MEMOEIAL-INTBODTJCTIO^. XIX* 

octagonal. On four sides are symbols of the four 
Evangelists : on the other four, figures of saints — 
much defaced. Alas ! for the perchance well- 
meaning but ill-doing "William Dowsing, Parlia- 
ment-Commissioner. There are six bells of deep- 
toned sonorous pitch, which — as in most parts of 
Suffolk — are frequently rung by the Parishioners : 
Bell-ringing here attains perfection. 

The present Rectory is in part a very ancient 
building, about a quarter of a mile from the 
Church — surrounded by lofty Scotch firs, and 
almost every kind of English tree. It has a wide 
double moat, where pike, dace, and other fish 
abound, and looks very charming with its vivid 
flower-banks and flashing water-lilies. The old 
Rectory stands nearly opposite the South porch. 
It is in somewhat reduced circumstances now, 
being used as a small Farm-house : yet looks well 
from out its orchard of cherry and other trees. 
See our Illustration. 

The Village itself— as shewn in the Frontis- 
piece — consists of a group of small houses in a 
rather dilapidated condition. The whole of them 
wear the appearance of having once been a kind 
of hostelry — afterwards used as the Parish Spital, 
but now as cottages. The gable end near the 
Church has a carved beam of similar work to that 



xx - MEMOEIAL-I^TliODUCTIOy. 

in the Church, which would shew its date to be 

about the middle or rather earlier, in the 15th 

century. The view from the Church tower is 

extensive, and presents a panorama of corn, bean 

and pasture fields, with remarkable, low hedges 

and very deep ditches— all the trees being pollared, 

for sake of the fuel. Here and there groups of 

Lombardy poplars are seen, where the Farms with 

their ancient barns and buildings nestle. These 

barns seem peculiar to the County, and are of 

immense size and height— with round holes at the 

extreme point of every gable, to admit of the 

owls : of which there are great numbers, brown 

and white. The roofs are of strong, thick oak 

beams, in some instances daintily carved, and 

morticed with great care. 

The lower class of labourers— who are the 
majority—are poorly clad, and altogether, from 
local circumstance*, the Village and neighbour- 
hood, lag behind the age in manifold ways. The 
people seem hospitable but oddly superstitious, 
and yield a quiet passive obedience to men and 
things <as they are \ The surnames in this 
part of the Country are curious. Some are of 
Danish origin, from the proximity to the coast, 
and others chiefly with reference to agricul- 
tural work or produce. These have escaped 



MEMORIAL-INTEODUCTIOX. XXI, 

Lower and other inquirers : e.g. i Grey-goose ' — 
< Swain/— < Bullock, '— < Lamb/— 'Drinkniilk,' — 

* Green, '— < Eutton, '— < Crow, '— < Mutimer, '— 
4 Eeveryear,'— < Bultitude,'— ' Sweet,'— < Gall,'— 
i Hunny-bell.' All of these are common names. 
There is a family— not far from Wilby — of 
Pattle, and the childrens names are Lily Pattle, 
and Yiolet, Moses, Aaron, and Pharaoh, Pattle — 
the last pronounced by the natives, Earrah. 
Among the Danish-come names in the County are 

* Sneezum,' l Thirkettle ■ and the like. 

Such was the life-scene of our Worthy and his 
i Grace.' The Parishioners bore a good name, 
when the new parson came, cherished martyr- 
memories, and had much love to the Evangelici and 
the Evangel of the Reformed Church. I have 
no manner of doubt Master Eletcher in the fine 
old sense, was a ' painfull ' under-shepherd. You 
have his Theology — Calvinistic if not fatalistic, to 
say the least, yet with spice of what now is 
called High- Church Sacramentarianism — in his 
Poems, and a tough bit of metaphysic thinking- 
out of the unthinkable because unknowable, in the 
Epistle to the ' Perfect-Cursed-Blessed Man.' 

The Register at Wilby furnishes the usual 
family-entries — all overlooked hitherto. The 
first-born, ' Joseph ', was baptized on the 7th 



XX11. MEMOEIAL-IKTEODUCTION. 

April, 1611 —William, on 13th April, 1612 — 
Grrace, on December 28th, 1613 — Marie, August 
27th, 1615— John, May 18th, 1617— and alas! 
a sixth child at the cost of the mother's life. 

The Eegister supplies a sadly-quaint memorial 
of l the end.' It is all a-glow with the light of 
love. It reveals that the union lasted only about 
seven years. Sunshine in the Eectory and Parish 
— a belting rain-bow and then thundrous breadth 
of shadow and rain of tears. I — for the first 
time — furnish the Record, with all fidelity to the 
somewhat involved and now dim handwriting. 
First comes the Latin, next the English, and finally 
an appealing couplet is added for intrusion of 
private sorrow and yearning, in the Church-books. 

AnoDnl: 1618 
Grace the wife of Joseph Fletcher Parson 
buried Decemb : 4 ; 

In cujus obitnm carmen eligiacum. 

Chara mihi conjux (conjuxq : sui tibi charus : 

Chains conjunxit nos in amore Dens.) 
Tu vitam virgo vixti sine lave : marito 

Uxor fida tuo : religiosa Deo. 
Arte et PieridUm, et medicaminis arte perita : 

Alma, benigna, piens, Candida, cauta, decens. 
Hen : fato raptata peris sextum paritura : 

Swave tibi raptae, te mihi triste rapi 
Carceris effractis lachrymosi libera vinclis. 



MfiMOEIAL- INTRODUCTION. X; 

Jam socia es superis pneumati juncta choris 
Numinis hoc unda prsedixit nominis omen, 

Gratia numen habens gloria nomen habet. 
Postern condignas celebrabunt secula laudes, 

Quippe tui sexus sic superas alias. 
Dulce decus valeas ! Tu tuto nunc requiescas \ 

Te sequar in requiem redditus in cinerem. 
Yncia tunc cineres geminatos urna tenebit ; 

Dum tuba, Terriginse surgite, la3ta canit. 



Dear loving, and dear-loved wife (for we to ecbe wer 

dear : 
The God of love by marriage-life, in love had match't us- 

near.) 
A spotles life thou livdst a maid, and to thy husband 

chaste, 
Thy sacred vowes to God th' hast pay'd, and duly serv'd 

him hast. 
In musick's skill thou didst excell, and so in medcine's art 7 
Modest, milde, mercifull, kinde, coomly in every part. 
Upon thy sixt conception, thy death being all the birth, 
Brought forth to mee heart-grief and mone, but to thee 

endless mirth, 
For being free fro griping stings of wive's-child-bearing 

throes 
Forthwith thy soule with angel's wings mounts up to 

heavnly joyes. 
This happy lot thy name foretould should unto thee befall, 
That being Grace in baptisme call'd, should' st now be 

glory all. 



XY1V. MEMORIAL-IN TEODUCTION. 

Wherefore since many of thy sex in vertue thou didst 



The after-times succeeding next shall speak of thy due 

praise. 
And now sweet lovely love farewell ! go ! sweetly rest in 

peace : 
In that same peace I hope to dwell with thee whe life 

shall cease : 
Our mingled corps in earthen trunk one stone shall the 

fast keep, 
Till the last judgement-sounding trump raise us fro our 

last sleep. 



At this let no man grudge, or say it's waist : 

For this halfe-leafe, twine two, in ye end there's plait. 

Sic : I understand, this couplet to mean that the 
two were destined to be buried in one plot of 
ground in the church-yard — whether we read 
plait or plac't, though I suspect ' there's ' to be a 
clerical mistake for ' they're '. 

The good Pastor of Wilby was left with no 
light charge in his five motherless children : and 
one can well understand that for many a day eyes 
would wetten and lips quiver, as with soft step, 
"Widower and little ones visited or looked toward 
1 the Grave.' 

We are without light on the remaining years. 
In course of time he re-married. His Will — 



MEMOEIAL-INTEODUCTIOK. XXV. 

fortunately recovered by us — leaves all very loving- 
ly and confidingly to his widow, named " Anne." 
No more is known of her. 

Our "Worthy himself died on 28th May, 1637, 
So early as L630, he had made his ' Last Will,' as 
follows : 

Extracted from the District Registry at Norwich, 
from the Records of the Consistory Court of 
Norwich. 

In the name of God, Amen, I, Joseph ffletcher, Parson 
of Wilby in the Countie of Suff & in the Diocese of 
Norwich, being of good & perfect memorie, thanks be 
unto AU-mightie God, do make this my last Will and 
Testament in manner & form following. Inpri's, I 
comend my Soule into the hands of my most mercyfall 
God, and my body after my Decease to Christian buriall. 
Itm, all my goods of what nature soever I give to Anne 
my most affectionate & loving Wife, leaving it to her 
discretion to give to my Children what she shall think to 
be most fitt, which said Anne my beloved Wife I make 
the sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testa^t. 

Sigillat & dat 1 die May 6° Charoli Regis 1630. 

Sealed and confirmed 

JOSEPH FLETCHER. 

in the prsence of 




XXVI. MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION". 

The oddly contracted and apparently incorrect 
canine-Latin of the foot-note — which I will not 
venture to print — bears that the Will was ' proven 7 
before one Clement Corbett, on 16th October, 
1637. Most probably he was laid beside his 
departed ' Grace \ A mural brass remains ' unto 
this day' in Wilby Church. Once more I give 
it in its epigraphs faithfully. 

the memoejb 
op the piovs and worthily deserving m r . 

Ioseph Fletcher late Rector of this 
Chvrch. He departed this lipe the 28 th 
of Sept: 1637. Aged 60 yeares. 
re ct ores bini s1mvl h1c sine pnevmate vivukt 

qvi dvm spirarvnt vervs vtercive fvit 
Nomine Vervs erat prior alter nomine Fletcher 
Re Vervs, Vervm quem Via vera docet. 



two parsons here vnder one stone are layd 

Who whiles they lived were both trve Parsons said: 

The first was trve by name, Fletcher, indeed 

Who left for all the Trv-Way Booke to reed 

Who doth thovgh dead to all the trve way tread 

Whose booke the trv way still ye trvth doth spread. 

Printing these ancient inscriptions recently, 1 it 
has been conjectured that our Fletcher must have 



1 NandQ. 3d S. viii., 316. 



MEM0BIAL-INTE0DI7CTI0X. XXV11, 

published some hitherto unknown book, called 
i The True "Way \ This is a mistake. The pun 
is on the name of his predecessor — one Yere, and 
hence Verus — and a book that described the 
1 True Way\ The 'booke' described, agrees with 
the poem of the ' Perfect- Cursed-Blessed-Man \ 
"Witness these words from the close of the Epistle, 
stating the design of the Poem : " Now for the 
further divulging of this happy meanes to the 
encrease of God's glorie; as also for the better 
winning and alluring of moe to embrace the same 
for the saving of their souls, did I take-in-hand 
to compose this subject into a Historie, and to set 
it out in familiar verse, that so the yonger — who 
are more ready to reade Poetry than Prose — may 
— as in a mappe or glass — behold one personating 
themselves, and chalking out The Way, or tread- 
ing as it were those very steps whereby themselves 
have departed from that excellency and perfection 
they were created in, aud runne headlong into most 
cursed miserie and thraldome : and yet againe, how 
by new means offered and ly circumspect walking 
therein, they may come to the fruition of etemall 
life and felicitie" n 

In the earlier poem of l Christens Bloodie Sweat' 

1 Pages 43— 44. 



XXV111. MEMOBIAL-INTEODTICTlOtf. 

you have the same design also unfolded : so that by 
his ' booke ' may have been meant the two Poems 
bound as one volume — seeing that the description 
applies to either. Or, as the " Perfect- Cursed- 
Blessed Man " bore his name — and so there could 
be no doubt of its authorship, while " Christe's 
Bloodie Sweat " had only the initials I. P. — was 
the latter specifically designated? Certainly its 
watchword and whole substance point out the 
"True Way." Thus: 

" The holy and inuiolate decree 
In His unchanging wisdome had appointed, 
That the True Way to happines should bee 
Found out, in bloud, and bloud of His annointed : 
Whose pure vermilion red, did freely guild, 
Sinns blacke as night, for whom this Lambe was 
kild." (pp. 136—137) 

Such is what we have got to say on this hitherto 
unrecorded Life : and methinks few will refuse to 
it the mediaeval verdict on another : 

" Now his faith, his works, bis ways, 
Nights of watching, toilesome days, 
Borne for Christ, 'tis meet we praise/' 

Turn now, if it please thee, gentle Beader, to 



flemarkB on tht ftoans. 




HE ' Perfect-Cursed-Blessed Man' was the 
later (1628-1629), 1 nevertheless I give it 
the first place, because while most prob- 
ably to be credited to our Worthy, the " Bloodie 
Sweat " cannot absolutely be claimed as his. So 
far as I can trace, the only critic who has hitherto 
assigned the " Bloodie Sweat " to Joseph Fletcher, 
is Mr. W. C. Hazlitt, in " Notes and Queries" (3rd 
Series viii. 268, 315) and subsequently in his 
"Hand-book." Mr. Collier in his "Bibliographi- 
cal Account " (sub voce) names John Ford and John 
Fletcher, as answering to the initials : but he 
dismisses them as not likely. But both these 
eminent Bibliographers, it must be noted, have 
imported without authority, the initials 'I. F/ 

1 In connection with our Worthy's patron, (p 3 ante) the 
following title-page is interesting : " The Tragedie of 
Alceste and Eliza. As it is found in Italian in La Croce 
racquistata. Collected and translated into English, in the 

same verse and number At the request of the right 

vertuous Lady, the Lady Anne Wingfield, wife unto that 
noble Knight, Sir Anthony Wingfield Baronet, his 
Majesties High Sheriffe for the county of Suffolke. (1638) 
From Mr. Corser's ' Collectanea Anglo -Poetica' — a model- 
book for all Bibliographers. The Perfect- cursed-blessed 
Man, is dedicated to Sir Anthony Wingfield. G. 
c 



*J EEMARKS. 

into the title page of "Christe's Bloodie Sweat/ \ 
Both — as I learn from a recent Catalogue of 
Book-rarities from Mr. Lilly — were misled by a 
(professedly) fac-simile MS title-page, in their 
common exemplar. Two copies of the original 
edition — and a third collated for me— contain- 
ing in each case the title-page in integrity, are 
before me : and in none do the initials occur. 
They are simply appended to the Epistle Dedica- 
tory. All therefore that can be said is that as 
neither Ford nor Fletcher put in a claim, any more 
than others for them, there is no other known 
name of the period fitting to the initials ' I. F. ' 
The thinking and sentiments are identical: e.g. 
in the beginning of the ' Perfect-Cursed-Blessed 
Man* you have the antithetic "gain of loss" 
(as in the brothers Fletcher) and in the ' Bloodie 
Sweat' the very same, " such gaine is loss" 
(pp. 41 and 157). Again: in the portrait of 
Christ in the ' Perfect- Cursed-Blessed Man ' and 
■ Bloodie Sweat ' alike, the patristic notion, that 
He neuer laughed, is put in much the same form. 
(Compare page 101, lines 41 — 43 and pp. 138, 
st. 1st, and 221, st. 2d.) So in other minutiae. 
Besides there is a modest disclaimer of high 
poetic faculty repeated in each. Thus in 
the Epistle-Dedicatory of the ( Perfect-Cursed- 



REMARKS. «* 

Blessed Man' he says: " Many tractates, I 
confess, you may finde tending to those ends, 
but all that I have seene, are meerly indicative, 
teaching onlie by instruction; whereas this is 
exemplarie, and teacheth by demonstration : and 
therefore though they may be more punctuall and 
pithie, yet I am sure this more plaine : I trust 
not unpleasant" 1 Again : "to the courteous 
Reader" : 

" In friendly kindness I thee send 
This little book, which I have penn'd. 
A book ? unworthy : yet doth bring 
Of what is penn'd the worthiest thing v * 

Similarly, in the Epistle-Dedieatory of the 
" Bloodie Sweat" : " These assurances have en- 
couraged mee, to offer to your iudicious view, this 
little labour which containes but a summarie of the 
Sonne of God's sorrowes : Wherein, let mee 
crave this fauour from your noble bountie, to 
measure, with the defect in writing, the sweet- 
nesse of what is written : the effect of that 
sweetnesse and the benefit of that effect." 3 So too 
in the poem itself : 

— " Since thou hast with such a modest care 

— Although thy verse doe want the grace of words — 

1 Page 27. 2 Page 45. 3 Page 128. 



4 HEMAEKS. 

Limn'd out My wounds, and told them as they are, 

So liuely as thy simple skill affords : 
He take thy meaning in the better part, 
And for thine offring will accept thy heart." *- 

The italicised line is just another way of putting 
the earlier disavowal : 

" In which discourse I shun industriously 
All idle vernish of quaint poetrie." 2 

In like manner in the Epistle " to such as shall 
peruse this booke" viz, "Bloodie Sweat" he says, 
"I, to cleere — as I might — verse, from the soyle 
of this vnworthinesse, haue herein — at least — 
proued that it may deliuer good matter, with fit 
harmonie of words, though I haue erred in the 
latter." 3 This one thread runs through both the 
poems. Without knowledge of the circumstances 
it is impossible to explain how in the later Poem 
he did not allude to its precursor — perhaps the 
better piece of workmanship. Moreover there are 
indications of familiarity with Roman as distin- 
guished from Catholic usages and phraseology, 
that excite fruitless curiosity in absence of light 
on the Facts. With reference to the latter point, 

1 Page 225. 2 Page 48 : lines 31—32. 

3 Page 129. 



EEMAEKS. O 

one should inevitably have set down the Poet of 

" Christe's Bloodie Sweat" as of the school of 

Southwell on coming upon stanzas such as these : 

" His wounds shall be my cloyster, heere inur'd 
I'le sequester my solace from the lining : 
His drops of blood my beads, with which secur'd 
I'le scote the prayers of my heart mis-giuing : 
My waxen taper, whose cleere light applies 
Light to my blindnesse, shall be His faire eyes. 

My booke, the legend of His storie ; zeale, 

The incence I will offer vp ; contrition, 

My penance ; the confession I reneale, 

My guilt ; my hope the comforts of fruition ; 
My Spirit my confessor ; faith the gift, 
Which must absolve me, and His loue my shrift. 

Whiles on the alter of His innocence, 
I'le lay the poore oblation of my heart : 
His death shall be the pardon to dispence, 
With all my sinnes, set free in euery part : 
My teares the holy water, and the fires, 
To burne this sacrifice, my chaste desires." 

(pp. 206—207.) 

But however Popish-seeming is all this and other 
kindred passages, they do not militate against the 
authorship of our Joseph Fletcher : for elsewhere, 
in the same Poem, he is unmistakeable in his 
opposition to Romanism, e.g. : 



b EEMAEKS. 

" And as the Anti- Christian throne is now 
Propt vp with scarlet robes and triple crownes, 
To vassaile princes 5 rights, and so allow 
All as it likes, or hates, with smiles or frownes ; 
Commanding, forcing, with his proud decree : 
Such did they hope the throne of Christ should bee." 

(p. 212.) 

" For shortly He beheld the comming curse 
Vpon the Sacred Scripture's commentaries, 
How, though the Iewes were nought, a people worse, — 
Whose studies were the deuilTs seminaries, — 
Should make the name of Iesus the disguise 
Of countenancing impudence and lyes. 

Such, like a nose of waxe, doe wrest the Word 
To colour sinne, and hellishly peruert 
Christ's sacred Gospell ; whiles with one accord, 
They boast the glorie of their owne desert : 
Damning the simple and the poore in minde, 
As serues their lusts, * Blind guides to leade the 
blinde.' " (pp. 213—214.) 

Independent of the authorship — which some letter 
or contemporary memorandum, destined to turn 
up, may confirm or annul — every one who esti- 
mates aright the value of such contributions to 
the scanty literature of our early sacred Poetry, 
will welcome " Christe's Bloodie Sweat" as well 
as the " Perfect- Cursed-Blessed Man". As else- 
where I have stated, from their apparently semi- 



REMARKS. 



private (original) circulation, and other accidental 
circumstances, these two remarkable Poems have 
come to be the rarest of (comparatively) modem 
books. The sales of the * Perfect- Cursed-Blessed 
Man' noted are Jolley's £15; Perry's £16; and 
Bindley's £23 2s. : while the "Bloodie Sweat " 
even in imperfect form, is priced by Mr. Lilly at 
£6 6s., and a perfect copy would readily fetch 
very much more. 

But it is from no mere antiquarian over-valuing 
of these Poems that I have included them in my 
Fuller Worthies' Library. Intrinsically, the more 
they are studied, the more will they be found of 
genuine worth and interest, being marked by 
striking originality of thought, vigour, and reso- 
nance, and o' times mellifluousness of versifica- 
tion, ingenious and unexpected rhymes — as any in 
"Hudibras" — and a few gleams of the i faculty 
divine,' albeit, as above, he ingenuously disclaims 
"all idle vernish of quaint poetrie" — meaning the 
1 lascivious rimes ' of the day. 

The u Perfect- Cursed-Blessed Man " has for its 
burden a favourite topic of our elder divines. Its 
triple " Perfect — Cursed — Blessed " and " Excel- 
lencie — Miserie — Felicitie " and "Generation — 
Degeneration — Eegeneration" remind us of Master 
Henry Holland and gentle Edward Topsell, in their 



o EEMAEKS. 

"Historie of Adam, or the foure-fold state of 
Man, welLformed in his Creation, Deformed in his 
Corruption, Reformed in Grace, and Perfected in 
Glory" (1606, 4o) : and onward a little, of Henry 
Arlington's " Principal Points of holy profession, 
touching these three estates of Mankind : 1. Their 
Creation : 2. Their Subuertion : 3. Their Restora- 
tion : wherein 1. God's mercifulnesse: 2. Satan's 
maliciousnesse : 3. and Man's weaknesse, is made 
manifest" (1607, 4o) : and onward still, of Quaker 
William Smith's "New Creation " wherein " the 
immortal Birth is Revealed, and the Precious 
Pearl out of the mixture extracted : declared in 
these following particulars, 1. The state of Man 
in the Creation : 2. The state of Man in the De- 
generation : 3. The state of man in the Separa- 
tion 8. The new Birth in the 

Regeneration, and 10. The way and work of Man 
in the New Creation" (1641 4<>) : and onward 
still, of Scotland's peasant- classic — placed beside 
the "Pilgrim's Progress, "—the " Four-fold Estate " 
of ever-to-be-venerated Thomas Boston of Ettrick. 
" Christe's Bloodie Sweat, " while apparently 
limited to the anguish of Gethsemane, sweeps 
round the widest circumference from the central 
facts^and doctrines of Atonement and Reconcilia- 
tion : and I know of few finer things in our early 



EEMAEKS. 9 

Literature, than the closing fire-side talk to " a 
childe" of the dear Saviour. With exquisite 
simpleness is the narrative introduced : 

" In after- times, when in the Winter's cold 
Folkes vse to warcne them by their nightly fires, 
Such parents as the time of life tearmes old, 
Wasting the season, as the night requires : 
Instead of tales may to their children tell, 
What to the Lord of glorie once befell." 

(pp. 218—219.) 

and, how sweet is this ! 

" Heere now, may bee, the prettie childe will weepe, 
And aske his parents why they vs'd Him so ; 
To which they may reply, that God did keepe 
His soule aliue, though life He did forgoe. 

For Christ — my childe — so dy'd— then may they tell 
That euery one might be redeemed from Hell." 

(p. 222.) 

In foot-notes and additional, I have marked Shake- 
sperean and Miltonic words. Others, the careful 
Reader will ' take heed ' of. Three especially 
are curious and out-of-the-way, and were not 
marked in their places, in order that they might 
be more prominently noticed here. At page 162 
occurs 'relate 1 and at page 179 ' related ', thus 
severally : 



10 EEMARKS. 

. . . . u rebate the dartes of hell." 

. . . . " Death's sting it hath rebated." 

It means in the former, to ' beat back ' as in 
Greene's Orlando Furioso (edition Dyce [1861] 
p. 90) : 

" hulks of burden great 

Which Brandibart rebated from his coast." 

and so elsewhere not infrequently. In the latter, 
it means to blunt, i.e. by beating back. It is 
extraordinary that one so well read as Mr. Collier 
should have egregiously missed on this word in 
his Hist, of the English Stage, &c. (p. 32) and his 
Shakespeare (Vol. L, edn. 1858). He states 
" It is clear as day that here 'related' ought to 
be ' rebutted' " : and that the same illustration 
is required in a subsequent part of the Play — by 
Greene — (p. 101, first col.) : 

" This is the city of great Babylon 
Where great Darius was rebated from." 

The late inestimable Mr. Dyce very properly 
replies, "But Mr. Collier is greatly mistaken: 
the old copies are right in both passages. Greene 
uses rebate in the sense of beat back (which is 
its proper sense : Er : rebattre). So again in the 
next Play we find, 



REMARKS. 1 1 

" Great Jewry's God, that foil'd stout Benhadad 
Could not rebate the strength that Easni "brought. &c." 

Our Fletcher confirms the criticism of our lament- 
ed friend. 

At page 184, we have " some notorious fact" 
as = deed. This illustrates Marlowe's Tambur- 
laine the Great, " Will rattle forth his facts of 
war and blood " (edn. Dyce [1825] p. 21). 

Finally there is at p. 215 the rare word ' teen ' : 

" Some doome of Iudgment or some angry teene," 

I have explained in loco : but I do not know that 
an example has been adduced in the usual authori- 
ties. Besides the present we have it in Dr. Robert 
Becorde, e.g. in translating Manilius's " Nunquam 
futililus excanduit ignibus cether " he puts it, 



" The earthe doth euer feele grief e and i 
When those straunge syghtes in heauen he seene." 
(Castle of Knowledge [1556]). 

Beyond mere words, I feel very certain that, 
when our Fuller "Worthies' Library is com- 
pleted, the student will find that what the earlier 
Poets and contemporaries were to Shakespeare, 
the too little known Sacred Poetry of England 
was to Milton and later Singers. Your (so-called) 
Introductions to Literature, — such as Hallam's, — 



1 2 REMAEKS. 

to all who have tested them, are so pervadingly 
second-hand in their reading, and so traditionary 
in their criticism and quotations, that the demand 
will be inevitable some day, for honest and truth- 
ful reading and estimate, and philosophic exposi- 
tion of the formative elements of our master-pieces. 
I aim by each book of the Series to prepare for 
this ultimate Book. With reference to Milton I 
am impressed deepeningly with the width, the 
omniverousness of his reading. The humblest 
Singer seems to have been listened to. He dis- 
dained not to wet his lip with the dew as of a 
flower-cup, even when of himself he could sur- 
charge the amplest flagons. Thus in the " Perfect- 
Cursed-Blessed Man" I catch a first faint utter- 
ance of one immortal line of the immortal Sonnets. 
I place them together. Fletcher : 

" Abusing nothing, ord'ring all aright, 
As always being in his Maker's sight." 

(Page 117, lines 419—420.) 

Milton : 

" As ever in my great Task-Master's eye." 

So too the marvellous exclamation of Satan, ' ' Evil, 
be thou my good " seems only to intensify this 
couplet : 



EEMAKKS. 13 

" He — blinde soule ! misled by fond conceipt, 

Thought evill, good ; and good a plain deceipt." 

(Page 60, lines 23—24.) 

Of Thomas Eullee you are repeatedly reminded, 
as in the marshalling of the Elements and all 
creation against revolted Man, precisely as in the 
" Hainous Sinue" : and in Fullerian and Crabbe- 
ian antitheses such as these out of many : 

" All things b'ing harmless, now all harmfull grew." 

(Page 71, line 161.) 
" Vnaturally prov'd all unnaturall." 

(Page 72, line 164.) 
" This sin-falne man raise up t' integrity, 
Or rase me out from Heav'n's society." 

(Page 85, lines 144—145.) 
" As that high vertue low Humilitie." 

(Page 93, line 333.) 
"As turns and returns turn him many waies." 

(Page 118, line 434.) 

Sometimes you have sarcasm and rebuke nervously 
and smitingly launched, as here : 

" If he be great, a king, a duke, a lord, 

They basely praise his indiscreetest word. 

If he be born a man of low degree, 

They keep him down in base servilitie. 

If rich, they rob him, lest too well he fare ; 

If poor, they hang him, such but vermine are. 



14 REMARKS. 

If he doe well, through envie they doe carp : 
If ill, it is their tabret and their harp.'' 

(p. 76 : lines 263—270.) 

Again, you come on lines that might have fonnd a 
place in the ' Purple Island \ Take this portrait 
of Sloth : 

" He lou'd not Sloath — vnprofitable rest ! 
Which eates, and feedes, and onely feedes and eates." 

(p. 11.) 

and this : 

" For Zeale doth last, when clothes are worne and 

rotten : 
Men great, once seen in ragges, are soon forgotten." 

(P. 19.) 

One finished stanza in "Bloodie Sweat " has sugg- 
ested John Fletcher, the Dramatist : 

sl He di'd indeed not as an actor dies 
To die to-day and Hue againe to-morrow : 
In shew to please the audience, or disguise 
The idle habit of inforced sorrow : 

The crosse His stage was, and He plaid the part 
Of one that for His friend did pawne his heart." 

(p. 177.) 

Another is solemn and weighty : 

" Is this a life ? O what a life is this ! 
To covet age, which being come is hated : 



EEMABKS. 15 

Whose end is death, which death the utmost is 
Of eu'ry lease that in the graue is dated : 
They that enioy what their owne hearts can craue 
Craue onely time which brings them to the graue." 

(p. 192.) 

You have ever and anon happy epithets e.g. " rest- 
affording Night " (p 87: line 186) "heart-joyn- 
ing hands " (p 94 : line 352), " timeless motions' ' 
(p 87 : line 188), " life-wasting Hunger ", (page 
71: line 157). Tou have sometimes too conceits, 
but engrandeured by their context, as here of the 
incarnate God : 

" This Christ was He, that promis'd Seed 

That long was long'd for : Who — though God in 

deed 
Yet that He might be also very Man, 
And so an equall Mediator — ran 
Sun-like through all the signes of humane race, 
Appearing first in blessed Virgo's face : 

(Page 99 : lines 1—6) 

So too of the Water turned in Egypt into blood, 
and of The Blood given the cleansing efficacy of 
Water. "What follows in the former quotation 
reveals that Joseph had read Giles Fletchee — 
the influence of whom as well as Phineas, is un- 
mistakeable. 

Finally, with occasional lapses — in part due to 



1 6 EEMAEKS. 

the Printer perhaps — " Christe's Bloodie Sweat " 
is melodious and accurate in its measure : the 
" Perfect- Cursed-Blessed-Man " is somewhat err- 
atic, now hurrying, and now slow-paced, involved 
and again strong and true. In both will be found 
note- worthy examples of that echoing and repeti- 
tion and still-onward repetition of lines, which 
are peculiar to our early Singers, and lingered in 
Milton. 

I anticipate that our edition of this Worthy, 
will receive welcome and appreciation : 

'Loke who that is most virtuous alwaye, 
Prive and apert, and most entendeth aye 
To do the gentil Dedes that he can, 
And take him for the gretest Gentilman." 

[Chaucer : Canterbury Tales.] 

ALEXANDER B. GEOSAET. 

15, St. Alban's Place, 

Blackburn. 



I. 

THE 



qyh 



txkiU€>mt)iMhm\ Man 



fiotz. 

The following is the original title page : 

THE 

HISTORIE 

OF THE 

Perfect — Cursed — Blessed 

MAN: 

Setting forth 

/ Excellency \ ( Generation, 

Mans < Miserie > by his ] Degeneration, 
( Felicitie ) ( Eegeneration. 

By I. F. Master of Arts, Preacher of Gods word, 
and Eector of "Wilbie in Sun . 

Bernardus in Meditat, 
Anima insignita Dei imagine ; decorata similitudiue ; despon- 
sata fide ; dotata Spiritn ; redempta sanguine ; hceres boni- 
tatis ; capax beatitudinis ; deputata cum Angelis. 

London, 

Printed for Nathanael Fozbrook, and are to be sold at his shop 
in Popes-head-alley, neere to Lombardstreet. 1629. 

It is a comely title-page red being alternated with black. 
The volume is a thin quarto of which the collation is, 

Title-page— Epistle-Dedicatory pp. 7— To the Eeader 
pp. 14— Verses to the Eeader 1 page— Poem pp 72, page 
54 being misprinted 45— fly-leaf Verses 1 page— Marking 
B, to N 3. 



KOTE. 19 

Like the 1640 edition of ' Christ's Yictorie' there are a 
number of well -engraved ' copper-plates,' on the first of 
which is 4 T. Cecill, sculp : ' They are as follows — 
I. Prefixed to title-page is an allegorical figure of the 
Christian in panoply, of the * helmet of salvation ', the 
' breast-plate of righteousness ' the ' girdle of truth ' the 
4 shoes ' of ' the preparation of the G-ospel ', the ' shield of 
faith' and the l sword of the Spirit'. From his mouth 
proceeds the usual scroll containing the text Ephesians vi. 
12, * I wrestle not against flesh and blood only , but 
against principalities and powers.' Behind crouches an 
odd horned arrow-tongued figure of l the dragon ' or 
Satan; On the left hand stands a repulsive skeleton- 
figure of Death holding his sand-glass and scythe : on the 
right is a feminine royal figure holding in one hand a crown 
and in the other a sceptre and a bag with the legend * All 

these will I give thee, if ' The central figure is 

named ' Christianvs Militans '. At top is this couplet, 

Formae natura lue morum, morte jubacta 
Almus eram, ater eo, mox tamen albus ero. 

At bottom this, 

All-spotless fair I formed was, But am by Sin deform'd ; 

Yet trust ere long by Death to pass, To glorious life conform'd. 

On reverse of this engraving is a list of Errata as follows : 
u Errata 
Are not many, and yet fewer in some Copies then in 
others : for as they were spyed in the Presse, they were 
amended in the remaining Copies. Let those that are 
found, be thus amended. 
In the Epistle Dedic. read (like flesh flyes 
In the Epist. to the Reader. 



20 NOTE. 

{p 5 1 antepenult, excellency and goodnes. 
p 13, 1. 2. calsfor more wrath. 

In the Book. 

( p 28. 1. the last, were all destroy'd. 

( p 41. 1 25. threw them headlong instantly. 

There are some other, but they are so sleighty, as the 

Header cannot but amend them in the reading." 

II. Opposite page 1 of the Poem is a series of undivided 
groups. At the top, rays of glory, black in the centre and 
bearing the name Jehovah (in Hebrew) : at the left Eve 
giving the * apple ' to Adam, Satan appearing in the tree 
next Adam and Eve, who are being expelled from the 
garden by an angel : At bottom, the Saviour on the Cross 
with the inscription 1NEI : and at right, figures of the 
Saviour 4 rising ' with banner in hand from the grave, and 
above * The Ascension ' before one kneeling : in the right 
hand corner, turbaned figures depositing (apparently, from 
the aureole) the dead Lord in a sarcophagus. At the left 
corner is the text ' As in Adam all die, even so in Christ 
shall all be made aliue ' 1 Corinthians xv. 22. At top, 
this couplet 

Stirpe sacra, morsu scelerato, sanguine Divo 
Integer, infgelix, et benedictus Homo. 

III. Opposite page 5. Adam and Eve (nude) gazing at 
* the tree ' : the feminine figure being nearly as tall as the 
male, her hair falling down over her shoulders. At top 
corner, Jehovah (in Hebrew) with a glory. Scattered up 
and down are figures of the elephant, camel, lion, sheep, 
wolf, &c. At bottom, the text Psalm viii. 5, 6. * Lord 
thou hast crowned him with glory and worship and hast 
put all things in subiection under him ' At top, this 
couplet 



21 



Dum sletit innocuus, stetit Omnipotentis Imago 
Viva Dei, prima sorte statutus Homo. 

IV. Opposite p 21 is Job with clasped hands and an 
un-perspectived representation of some of his trials. 
Satan as a ' lion ' is grasping his leg, a serpent near and 
a rhinoceros-like figure on the left. At bottom the text 
Job xiv. 1 * Man's life is short and full of misery \ At 
top, this couplet 

Mortalis vitas, vitalis Mortis amara 
Illicitum gustans, gustat avarus Homo. 

V. Opposite p 35 is a view of 'Jerusalem the Golden' 
with its twelve-towered g ates : in the centre six female 
figures and over them the text Psalm lxxxv. 10. * Mercy 
and trueth are met together : Righteousnesse and Peace 
haue kissed each other.' At bottom, a figure round whose 
extended arm a serpent wreaths, and at his feet another 
creeps, with frogs popping out their heads from the miry 
water. Above this, the text Jonah ii. 4. * I am cast out of 
sight, yet I will look again toward thy holy temple'. At 
top this couplet 

Ejus commiserens Sortis Divina Potestas 
Vt redeat Civis, consulit, Exul Homo, 

TI. Opposite p 55 is another series of groups. In the 
centre, Christ on the Cross and a soldier with the * reed and 
spunge ' and three i women ' : opposite (to the left) Christ 
being put into a sarcophagus, as before : underneath, the 
* healing ' of the ' blind man ' : down a little to the right, 
the betraying ' kiss ' by Judas : at the bottom corner (left) 
the call * Follow me ' to the disciples : onward the ' Holy 
Child ' in the manger. At left hand corner (top), the 






22 NOTE. 

Ascension and a figure 'with the ' legend ' Draw me ' 
Canticles i. 4 : at right hand corner (top) Christ'ascending 
surrounded with the conventional (infant) figures of 
angels. At bottom, is the text * To us is born a Sauiour 
which is Christ the Lord' Luke 11. 11. At top this couplet 

Verbera sputa, crucem Yerbum patitur Caro factum 
Vt vivat Coelis, morte solutus Homo. 

VII. After p 7<2 is a crowned and robed figure holding 
a palm-branch and in a circle the text * The Light and 
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee ' Isai. 60. i. In a 
scroll these others l Alleluiah ' * I haue fought a good fight ' 
2 Tim. 4.7. 1 1 have receiud ye crowne of life wen ye 
Lord promised mee'f James i. 17. This fine*figure has 
the inscription ' Triumphans ' as ^distinguished from the 
former ' Militans \ At top, this couplet 

Ens, tumidus, tenuis : fulsi, cecidi, resilivi ; 
Dives, inops, ingens ; sorte, dolore, fide. 

The half-titles of each part of the Poem are printed on 
plates III. IV. V. and VI. which contain respectively 
pages 4, 20, 34, 54. No I has the < Verses '^to the ' cour- 
teous Reader* on reverse : No VII is on a separate leaf. 
Nos, III and VII alone show any spirit or artistic taste 
in their design : the engraving superior to the desig 
throughout. None worthy of reproduction even if 1 
lay within our design. 

There was a previous issue in 1628 "London, Printe 
by M. Flesher and are to be solde at the signe of 
Greyhound in Pauls Churchyard ;" our exemplar of 162 
being probably the same, re-titled for the new Publishe: 
G, 



ms 


WmwWwM^ 




MM 


-- ; 


mSmSft?- 



i. Spi0tk B^iratorg, 



To the Eight Worshipfull Sir Anthony Wing- 
field, Knight Baronet, tne prime heir of 'that 
right noble, generous and renowned Familie, of 
the prime House of the Wingfields, the growth 
and increase of Grace and Honour here, and^the 
fruition of Glorie and Happiness hereafter. 1 



S you take-notice 2 of this happiness and 
blessing of God upon you to bee the heir 
of this great and worthie Family ; so 
take-notice also — I beseech you — of the true 
cause of that worth and greatness of your ances- 




1 The Wingfields were lords of the manor of Wilby 
from the early part of the 15th century till the middle of 
the 17th. Sir Anthony Wingfield supra, died on July 
30th, 1638. G. 

2 This is printed ' take-notice ', a peculiar verb-form 
carried out in prose and verse alike of this Author : and 
therefore retained throughout. G. 



24 EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 

tors, and imitate them therein : and then, 
inheriting their worth, together with their wealth, 
you shall undoubtedly enrich your selfe with the 
obsequious 1 attendance and hearty affection of 
your native countrimen ; and so grow in grace and 
favour with God and man. 

Your noble progenitours" have bin 'famous for 
their pietie to God ; for they were alwaies 
noted to be zealous in Religion. They have bin 
renowned for their loialtie to their soveraigne ; for 
they were alwaies of great and high commission, 
many of them being ex intimis regum comiliis. 
They have alwaies bin much honoured of their 
Country, for their great care of the publique good 
and welfare thereof : which, as occasions required, 
they did manifest, sometimes by their valour, 
thogh it were to hazard the loss of life or living : 
sometimes by their wisdome and integrity ; in so 
much that weighty causes in difference have bin 
by the parties' consent referred to their sole arbi- 
tration : sometimes by their lenity, for this was 
their ancient 2 motto, and revived by the last of 
your name, posse et nolle, nolile : and alwayes by 

1 Reverential, as at obsequies : a frequent Shakesperian 
word. G. 

2 Printed anciet, the early way of marking the 
omitted letter. G. 



EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 25 

their great hospitalitie, upon which to their great 
renowne and glory, they yearly spent the greatest 
part of their revenues. 

All these, with many such, lived together with 
your predecessors, and whiles they lived, were the 
life of their fame and worth. And let me tell you 
Sir, there is an expectation — the tedious monthes 
of your minoritie being worn-out — of their re- 
viving, and together with your person, of their 
keeping residence in some or other of your man- 
sions. God enable you with such a competency of 
gifts and graces as you may satisfie expectation. 

I speake not thus out of doubtfull fear, but in 
officious 1 love : for since it pleased the Divine 
Providence when you were baptized, to use the 
hand of my minestery for the receiving of you into 
the Church: — I living then in your worthy 
father's house, who never entertained any other 
chaplain, but mine unworthy selfe — and sith 
I live still in statu quo, as your father placed 
me ; methinks the same Providence leads me 
by the hand to doe some service for you, 
now when his Majesty the King sends you 
so timely into the Commonwealth, by gracing you 



1 Love, full of offices or acts : another frequent Shake- 
sperian word. G-. 



26 EPISTLE DEDICATOET. 

honoris onere, with the dignity of Knight-Baronet, 
and by trusting yon onoris honore, with the com- 
mand of some of his Forces for the Countries 
defence. 

My prayer is that you may walk worthy of the 
severall callings whcrunto you are called : and 
my desire is to doe something for you to further 
you therein. Eor which purpose I have presumed to 
present you with this History, though weakly 
contrived, yet strongly warranted : for it hath the 
undoubted truth of God for its authority. Wherein 
I endevour to let you see your selfe in your triple 
estate : for it doth not prcedicare de uno homine in 
specie individuo, but de singulis hominilus in toto 
genere humano : and is particularly verified in everie 
one, being cursed or blessed in their imitation of it. 

It will advertise you to take -heed, that you give 
no way to your naturall inclinations, but as you 
finde them renued by grace : and to stop your ears 
against the buzzings of fawning sycophants, 
which — like flesh-flies 1 that corrupt sweet oint- 
ments — alwaies breathe infection : and serpent- 
like never insinuate but for secret mischevious 
ends — God give you the Spirit of "Wisdome to 



1 Misprinted 'life flies'. See Errata in preliminary 
STote. G. 



EPISTLE DEDICATOEY. 27 

discern, and the grace of zeale to detest, Mud 
pessimum homtnum genus. 

In a word, it will — I hope — helpe to direct you, 
how to recover the perfection of pure nature * how 
to get-out of the miserie of corrupt nature ; and 
how to attaine to the fruition of that supernaturall 
felicitie that the world cannot apprehend. 

Many tractates, I confess, you may finde tending 
to these ends, but all that I have seene, are meerly 
indicative, teaching onlie by instruction ; whereas 
this is exemplarie, and teacheth by demonstration : 
and therefore though they may be more punctuall 1 
and pithie, yet I am sure this more plaine : I trust 
not unpleasant. God give grace to make them 
all profitable. 

If this shall further you but one step towards 
any of those ends, either for your mortification or 
vivification — a double work, but must be singlie 
performed by you, and by all that intend to save 
their soules— I shall rejoice in my pahies, and you 
I trust, be encouraged to i press-on towards the 
mark set-before you, for the price of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus \ 2 

This is the maine thing that you have to doe in 

1 Exact = finished. G-. 

2 Philippians in. 15. G-. 



28 EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 

this world : without which you shall neuer here 
deserue the happiness you have, nor ever here- 
after attaine to the happinesse you desire. Your 
riches, honour, the favour of this world, these were 
the desert of your ancestours, which outlived their 
persons, and are now cast upon you their undoubted 
heir, to make you worldly happy. But it is Reli- 
gion, and the love and practise of Religion onely, 
in the exercise of vertuous and pious actions, that 
can bring you to deserue this temporall happiness, 
and assure you to enherite that which is immortall. 
Thus commending these broken lines to your 
acceptance, and your selfe to the grace in Christ 
Iesus ; I humbly take my leave, and rest 

Your Worship's truly devoted 

Ioseph Fletcher. 






ii. % the ICeatmb anb IbbidcbB fieabtt*. 




OT that I desire such Readers only, doe I 
prefix this Epistle ; but only to desire, if 
any such shall vouchsafe to reade this 
poor labor, that they would also vouchsafe to make 
a favourable construction of what they reade : and 
to take-notice 1 that I doe not hold, that all the 
therein mentioned decrees, consultations, iudge- 
ments, &c, were just so inactu, as they are therein 
set-down ; or as the tenour of the Story may seeme 
to import. For I haue learned another lesson, 
which I desire those who haue not, to learne and 
beleeue with me. 

For mine owne part, I know and beleeve that 
all things whatsoever that either haue bin, are or 
shall be, so far as they have reference unto God, 
the Primus Motor y original! Authour and principall 
Actor of them ; of Whom, through "Whom, and 
for "Whom they haue and receiue their being 
and motion all : — secondary causes being contained 
within the sphere of their First Cause ; I beleeve I 



1 As before, in Epistle-Dedicatory. G, 



30 TO THE HEADER. 

say — that being thus considered in God, they have 
neither prim nor postering ; first nor last ; because 
God is Alpha and Omega, both first and last ; the 
first of Causes, the last of Ends, that is all in all : 
they being in Him semel et simul, as one individuall 
substance or continued motion ; He being in Him- 
selfe, JEris cujus centrum ubiq ; et cujus circumfer- 
entia nullibi : so that nothing can be besides Him, 
He being of Himself e every way infinite. 

Ypon this ground all God's purposes, motions, 
actions, — whether in respect of the creature, 
necessary or contingent — as also the subject 
whereon Hee workes, yea and likewise the in- 
strumentall Causes whereby He workes, are all 
present unto Him: because He beholdeth all 
things, uno et eodem intuitu, at one instant, there 
being no difference to Him at all betwixt things 
past and present, and to come : these being meerly 
and onely the distinctions of Time. But God Who 
is Light, and dwelleth in Light ; Which was, and 
Which is, and Which is to come ; the same yester- 
day and to-day, and the same for ever, needeth 
not the distinctions of Time for the resolution and 
execution of His decrees and actions. 

All things then being in God, God in Himselfe 
is to be considered as a most rich, beautifull, and 
glorious treasurie, of such transcendent, super- 
excellent, and incomprehensible nature, majesty 






TO THE HEADER. 31 

and order, as that not any creature in Heaven or 
Earth is able to conceive how any one thing in 
Him is either decreed, promoted or acted, simply, 
truly and as it is indeed : for creatures are cir- 
cumscribed in all their faculties and powers, and 
cannot goe beyond their extent. For us then 
positively to describe, define or determine 
anything of God's decrees, consultations and 
actions, — I mean ad intus — or of His order 
of doing them, as that first He did that, 
afterwards this, and last of all thus, it is 
satanicall pride and arrogant presumption : so ' in- 
searchable is His wisdome and His waies past 
finding out V 

Yet again the same insearchable things of God, 
being considered quoad nos, and referred to their 
visible and apphrensible causes, ends, objects, and 
effects: so they admit of prius and poster ius, and 
may be said to bee first or second according to the 
settled order of nature, time or being. And upon 
this ground we may look upon the actions of God, 
as issuing or proceeding from Him in a most 
perfect, comely and beautifull order and succes- 
sion, whereby Hee manifesteth His owne glory, 
and advanceth the good of His creatures. And 

1 Romans xi. 33. G. 



32 TO THE HEADER. 

yet this acceptation, distinction or interpretation 
of God's doings ariseth from our owne weak ca- 
pacities and apprehensions, and not from the 
things of God them selves ; for as we conceive and 
understand them to be, or haue beene done, so doe 
wee judge of them, and no otherwise. 

Now, for that we are weake to conceive and 
understand aright, the wonderfull things of God — 
as indeed the least worke of His is wonderfull in it 
selfe, and infinitely surpasseth our imagination — 
God therefore in mercy affords us many helps to 
further us therein; per eorporalia spiritualia 
docens ; et per visibilia invisililia demonstrans, and 
so speaketh to us of His owne immense and in- 
comprehensible resolutions and actions, in phrases 
and tearms sutable and agreeable to our owne 
weake capacities. Not for that we are to conceive 
it to be just so and so with the Lord, concerning 
that thing of which Hee speaketh, and no other- 
wise ; but for that otherwise than so and so He 
speaketh, wee cannot possibly conceive it to bee. 
He stoopeth to our innrmitie, and speaketh to us 
concerning Himselfe in our own dialect, and 
giveth us leave to speak of Him and His actions, as 
wee doe of our selves and our owne. 

And because we alwaies contrive and frame to 
our selves a methodicall order of what we 



TO THE READER. 33 

doe before it bee done ; and cannot attaine to the 
consummation of our ends but by some orderly 
proceedings; as by intentions, meditations, con- 
sultations, endevors, executions, and the like : so 
likewise we — measuring the great works of God 
by the game compass we do our owne — doe con- 
ceive them to be begun and effected by such like 
passages and progressions as our own are ; as by 
decrees, consultations, resolutions, orsomemeanesor 
other, to ripen and bring them to their productions. 

And thus it is that wee dare take-upon us to 
speake of God's great workes of wonder : as — 
not to name any other — of these, of Man's creation 
and Eedemption, both which we conceive to be in 
this manner : 

First, touching Man's creation : we conceive 
that God moved with zeale of propagating His 
own glory, did take in hand, even out of Nothing 
to frame and create man, as a fit matter or 
subject, whereon to stamp and set the likeness of 
His owne image, that so Hee might communicate 
His owne everlasting Goodness to a creature so 
qualified and endowed. Which creature notwith* 
standing so formed and enabled, is not, nor cannot 
be equall to his Creator in the excellencie of good- 
ness or power of perseverance : though for qualitie 



34 TO THE READER. 

lie partake of his Creator's goodness, and for form 
he be made in his Creator's image. 

And for this we conceive a double reason ; the 
one from God, the other from man: from God, 
because He is — notwithstanding this His work 
of creation, that is of bringing another thing 
besides Himselfe into esse, and so into open 
view, yet we say, He is— still infinite, and so no 
whit lessened or any way impayred, either in 
quality of essence or in ability of perpetuity. 
For all excellency and goodness is fontally in Him; 
and what excellency or goodness soever is in any 
creature, it is but guttula illius formositatis, boni- 
tatis y suavitatis quce est in Creator e : which, being 
severed from God, doth ther-upon instantly perish 
and turne to nothing. And therfore man no 
longer bears the perfect qualitie of his Creator's 
image, than that hee continues in Him, good, and 
constantly the same he was, according to that 
stamp and tincture which hee received from God 
in his creation. So that man's perfection is not 
so excellent as his Maker's, no, nor any whit 
equivalent thereunto ; because perfection in man 
is but as a beame of glorie issuing from God the 
fountain of glory : wheras in God it is originally 
essentiall, and everlastingly infinite. 

Again, Man is not so excellent as his Maker ; 



TO THE EEADEH. 35 

for wee must consider his originall matter, whereon 
he was made ; which was Nothing. Now this 
Nothing, by the operative goodness of God was 
made something, and this something was made Man, 
hearing the stamp of his Creator's goodness. Yet 
this goodness in man, though derived from the un- 
changeable goodness of God, was not otherwise 
than changeably good : because it was now seated 
or inherent in a dissoluble subject, of a change- 
able disposition, able to stand in or fall from its 
goodnes, as it selfe should resolve. 

Now, I say, the receptivitie of created matter 
affords no room for unchangeable goodnes. As it 
stood with God's goodnes, to make man good, yea 
and very good : so it stood with the nature 
of man's essence, being a made matter, not to be 
capable of unchangeable goodnes. For unchange- 
ableness and immutability in goodness is proper 
onely to Omnipotency, or the creating power, 
because that onely hath subsistence in it selfe ; 
which subsistence in it selfe is that onely which 
gives life and being to unchangeableness. Nor 
againe can the thing created, comprehend the 
Creator's goodness, because that is finite, this 
infinite : and it is a certaine rule, minus non habet 
in se majus, and therefore man cannot comprehend 



36 TO THE READER. 

his Maker's goodnes. Which if we shoud fondly 1 
imagine that God, if Hee had pleased, might have 
made man absolutely and constantly good like 
Himselfe, no way liable to change or alteration : 
then we must also imagine man should have bin 
more than made in the image of God or after His 
likeness ; for then hee should have bin all one with 
his Creatour, both in essence and qualitie : for 
there is less difference betwixt the essence of God 
and unchangeable goodness, than betwixt fire and 
the heat thereof; or the sunne and the light 
thereof, though the one really and inseparably 
express the other. For set any subject in such an 
equall distance to the fire, as it shall receive the 
heat thereof, and yet not be enflamed therewith : 
or conveigh the light of the sunne by a reflect ing 
object to enlighten a darke body ; yet that heat 
or this light thus divided from their proper seats 
and subjects, is neither the heat of the fire, nor 
yet the light of the sun : their subjects being hot 
or light, remissis gradihus, perhaps that but warcne, 
it may be this but dim. Whereas the true heat 
of the fire in its proper nature and quality doth 
alwaies burne imd consume : and the true light in 
the body of the sun doth alwaies dazle and con- 

1 Foolishly. G. 



TO THE KEADEE. 37 

found the sense of all humane sight to behold it. 
And yet it must be confessed that that heat, being 
but warm ; and the light, being but dim, did both 
of them come originally, the one from the very 
fire, the other from the very sun. 

So likewise, touching the goodness that is in 
Man, though it came originally from the un- 
changeable goodness that is in God, yet being now 
seated or inherent in a created substance — whose 
continent 1 is infinitely less than the originall of 
the thing infused — it is no more of that unchange- 
able condition which is in God, than either the 
forementioned heat or light can truly and pro- 
perly be said to be either sun or fire. 

But here I know some object the condition of 
the blessed angels, saying, that sith 2 they kept 
their first station and perfection, and never lost 
that goodness and holiness they were created in, 
therefore their goodness is unchangeable : to which 
I answer, it followes no more, that because they 
have not fallen from their goodness, that there- 
fore their goodness is unchangeable ; then 3 because 

1 See our Additional Notes (a) at end of The Perfect- 
Cursed-Blessed Man for this Shakesperian word. G-. 

2 Since G. 

3 That is ; th an ' but our early Writers made a nice 
distinction between € then ' and i than '. See again our 



38 TO THE HEADER. 

a cleare cristall glasse is not broken or a faire timber 
house is not yet burnt, that the one is not brickie 1 
nor the other combustibile. 

Though we grant that the blessed angels neither 
ever did, nor euer shall fall from their goodness ; 
yet we must know it was in their nature to have 
fallen as well as the angels that did fall— who as 
some are bold to affirm were not inferiour but more 
excellent in glory than the constant angels — But 1 
these good angels have resisted all inducements 
and allurements to procure their change : and ] 
happily by their resistance are now so confirmed 
in their goodness — or else by some other than by 
an infused or created power, are now so upholden 
and enabled — that they shall never fall : the ; 
Providence of God over them enabling them to 
stand. 

But to returne to the goodness in Man : let us 
know it was changeable : that is, might continue 
or vanish, even as himselfe would : as that warm 
heat or dim light might last or be extinct, as their 
subjects were kept to or removed from their orig- 
inall causes. So whiles Man kept that state and 

Additional Notes (b) at end of the * Perfect- Cursed-Blessed ; 
Man\ G. 

1 Brittle. G. 



TO THE READER. 39 

disposition that God created him in, so long he 
continued constant and perfectly snch as he was 
created : but going-about to alter or ad any thing 
to his state and being ; — which by Satan's procure- 
ment he did — he therupon did alter his qualitie 
and condition : the image of God in him after 
which he was made, to wit, in his naturall and 
personall essence, remaining what it was, but the 
likenes or similitude of God in that image, being 
altogether depraved and spoiled in the beautifull 
form and qualities thereof : his Good, being turned 
into 111 ; his Knowledge into Ignorance ; his Holi- 
ness into Pollution ; his Domination into Subjec- 
tion ; his Glory into Shame ; his Life into Death ; 
and all his felicity into extreme misery. 

Now this change was simply Man's owne act, 
and no way imputable to his Creatour ; for God 
had made him such, as — if hee had would 1 — he 
might as well haue stood stedfast in his perfection 
and integritie, as thus to haue fallen into this 
state of corruption and iniquitie. But he lost 
that heat of life, which hee had received from the 
all-quickning fire of God's breath : hee put out that 
light of grace which reflected upon him, from the 
all-enlightning sunshine of God's love : and all 



willed, chose : and so, onward.. G. 



40 TO THE READER. 

because hee tooke-upon himselfe — contrarie to God's 
will — to alter his state and being from that which 
God hath set him in. This extinguishment came 
from himselfe, and not from the will of God. God 
had indeed given him freedome of will, but 
hee used it in pejorem partem, to his owne destruc- 
tion : not for that God had made him for that end 
to destroy him ; but for that he used not his 
freedome, to stand and continue in that state of 
holy life and light of grace, which hee might have 
stood and continued in, if himselfe had would. 
And thus he made, not himselfe onely, but all 
his posteritie, subject to death and damnation. 
For as by his creation he had received life and grace 
from God, not for himself only, but for all that 
should come of him : so likewise by his trangress- 
ion, he made all his whole posterity liable to God's 
wrath, as well as himselfe : so that all were alike 
changed with him into the same state of corruption, 
and all were fallen alike with him into the same 
pit of perdition. There being no difference nor 
degrees at all, as if his posteritie were some of 
them less, some more or deeper plunged therein 
than other. For the same death that by sin 
entred upon the first offender, I say the same death 
both in measure and degree, went-over all man- 
kinde alike : because all had in Adam alike 



TO THE READER. 41 

offended, all were alike deprived of the glory of 
God. Thus all mankinde was by creation perfect, 
by sinne corrupted, and by the guilt of sinne 
accursed. 

!Now then for Man's Redemption, as God at 
first consulted with Himselfe how and after what 
manner Hee might make man, and at last resolved 
to make him in His owne image, after His like- 
ness : so here againe finding man to be thus fallen 
from that happy state into this wofull plight, 
surely much more did Hee now consult with 
Himselfe, and by what meanes Hee might set 
Man on his feet againe, and so restore him and 
his whole race into their former state and happy 
being. This being a work — if we may compare 
God's works one with another — of greater glorie, 
difficultie, and labour — humano more loquor — than 
that of Creation. 

Which consultation I mention not here, for that 
I imagine that God did not thinke nor provide for 
Man's Eedemption before he was fallen : for — I 
beleeve — as God's all-seeing eye did fore-see the 
Fall, so his insearchable "Wisedome did provide for 
the same, even from all Eternitie. Yet seeing I 
haue taken-in-hand to speake of this consultation, 
it falleth best into our order and method to speake 
of it here in this place. 



A"2 TO THE EEADEE. 

Here then to express and set-forth this wonder- 
full worke of God for the Redemption of Mankinde, 
wee imagine Him first to be moved by His com- 
passion or pitie ; His pitie to stir-up His mercy ; 
His mercy for truth and iustice' sake to submit 
her selfe to His wrath ; His wrath to be asswaged 
by His peace : and so one grace to advise and 
deale with another, till at last they sweetly agree 
and joyne all in one, how to perfect and effect a 
worke for the deliverance of all Mankinde out of 
its misery. Which work was put upon Christ, 
the anointed Messias, Who chearfully undertook 
it, and for His part effectually performed it. And 
as many of all Mankinde — as according to 
God's purpose — doe receive this blessed and 
gratious Mediatour, apprehending Him by faith, 
cleaving unto Him by hope, and giving obedience 
unto Him through charity, so many are freed 
from their thraldome and miserie, and are restored 
to the inheritance and participation of life and 
felicity. 

Those againe that either carelessly neglect or 
wilfully reject this great loue of God in Christ, 
they not only still remaine over- whelmed in the 
same pit of perdition into which they were plung- 
ed by the sin of the first father ; but they also 
provoke God againe unto furter wrath, for so 



TO THE EEADER. 43 

lightly respecting His love, and casting His 
mercy behinde them. Eor Grace not offered, will 
itselfe plead mercy for the offender : bnt offered 
and contemned, justly cals for more wrath and 
severity of punishment. But for those that thirst 
for deliverance, and embrace that meanes which 
is offered to them in Christ Iesus, they are borne 
anew ; they are inspired with good graces ; they 
are freely justified, sanctified, and assured of 
salvation : and shall at last attaine eternall 
happiness. 

Now for the further divulging of this happy 
meanes to the encrease of God's glorie ; as also 
for the better winning and alluring of moe 1 to 
embrace the same for the saving of their soules, 
did T take-in-hand to compose this subject into a 
Historie, and to set it out in familiar verse, that 
so the yonger — who are more ready to reade 
Poetry than Prose — may — as in a mappe or glass 
— behold one personating themselves, and chalk- 
ing out the way, or treading as it were those very 
steps whereby themselves haue departed from 
that excellency and perfection they were created 
in, and runne headlong into most cursed miserie 
and thraldome : and yet againe how by new means 

1 More, G, 



44 TO THE READER. 

offered, and by circumspect walking therein, they 
may come to the fruition of eternall life and 
felicitie. 

These together are the scope of my intendment ; 
which if in any measure I shall further and 
promote, I trust it shall repent neither mee to 
haue spent some houres stollen from my ordinary 
studies for the worke of the Minesterie in my 
pastorall charge, upon this kinde of writing ; 
nor any other, of their paines in reading ; but 
shall occasion us all more seriously to praise the 
Lord : for whose sake I desire to become i all 
unto all, to winne some'. 1 

1 A reference from memory to 1 Corinthians ix 22. 

G. 




hi. ^0 the Courteobjs Iteabet, 




Kinde Friend. 

JIN" friendly kindness I thee send 
This little book, which I have penn'd. 
A book ? unworthy : yet doth bring, 

Of what is penn'd the worthiest thing. 

Thy life or death, it doth thee shew, 5 

In matter old ; in methode new. 

The matter then doe not reject, 

Sith 1 life or death, it doth reflect. 

And if the methode thee distast, 

My good- will for amends thou hast. 10 

Yet reade it not for ought that's mine ; 

But 'cause the subject is divine. 

1 Since. G. 



J 



%hz $ zxtztt-€ntBzlb~Mz8&zb Jttatt 




THE AKGUMENT. 

N h's form, in h's fault, through Christ's 
peacemaking blood, 
Man's Perfect, Cursed, and again made 
Good. 

%\tz ^pment mkrgttu 



Whestas by cursed disobedience 

Man first did fall from perfect innocence, 

He purchas'd to himself e, and his whole race 5 

The gain of endless pain, the loss of grace. 

Heav'n, Hell, Earth, Sea, Wife, Children, all 

maintain 
His wofull gain of loss, his sense of pain : 
Whose cursed state by blessed consultation 
Is blessed made through perfect consolation. 10 
So loss of pain at last he findes in this, 
That Life must die, that Death may bring him 

bliss. 



48 THE PEBFECT-CITBSED-BLESSED MA.tf. 

HEhe JUithor** preamble upon it 



Thotj Infinite ! that can'st in every place 
Breathe into poor, yea dead soules, life and grace ; 
And them indow with rich gifts from thy trea- 
sure : 1 5 
powre into my barren heart such measure 
Of wisdome, knowledge, truth, humility, 
Eaith, holinesse, grace and ability ; 
That I may, after meditation, 
Commend unto the world a true relation, 20 
How Thou didst frame Man in his excellence 
A curious modell of Thy glorious essence. 
How him again, having himself e defac'd, 
Thou didst vouchsafe Thy Son should be abas' d 
Ey humane life, by death, by h's unknown 1 
Passion, 25 
To re-invest in grace and glorious station. 
A work of no less wonderment, I ween, 
Than that which was in his creation seen. 
Both infinite in goodness, love and glory; 
Not what, but that they are, shall be my story. 30 
In which discourse I shun industriously 
All idle vernish of quaint poetrie ; 

1 = unknowable, unfathomable. G-. 



THE PEKFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAIS'. 49 

u In speaking of God's simple veritie 
" Nought more beseems than true simplicities 1 
Then what I know of His all-knowing worth, 35 
With single heart, I simply thus set forth. 



JHan'js (Bxcelimde bj> km <&zwx&txan* 



THE ARGUMENT. 

Whiles man once plac'd, in innocence, so stood, 
He bore the stamp of all th' All-Mightie's good. 

The Creation of man by God Who is a Spirit omni- 
potent, 11 1 — 27 —Man's perfection, being made in the 
image of God, rarely understood 11 28 — 62. — the image of 
God in man expounded, 63 — 68. — the Three Persons 
of the Trinity resembled by three faculties in the soul : 
minde, will, a power to doe, 11 69 — 86. — as three Persons 
and but one God, so divers faculties and but one soule, 11 
87—106 -as no priority of Persons in the Deity : so 
neither of faculties in the soule : 11 107 — 132. — the 
image of God's infinitie in man : memorie, vnder standing, 

1 Placed within quotation marks but I have not traced 
the couplet elsewhere. G. 

2 A separate title occupies page 3, as follows * The 
Perfect Man : setting-forth Man's Excellencie by his 
Generation'. See Introduction ante, "for similar phrase- 
ology. G. 

D 



50 THE PEEFECT-CUBSED-BLESSED MAtf. 

Providence, 11 133 — 152. — man's soveraignty, 11 153 — 
164. — the excellency of the soule's faculties, 11 165 — 170 
— minde, intellect, reason, will, wit, heart, conscience, 
affections, inward senses, common-sense, fantasie, memory, 
outward senses, touching, seeing, hearing, tasting, smell- 
ing : body, head, speech, face, hands, feet, 11 171 — 130. — 




i| ISTD this I know, and firmly doe beleeve, 
That by His Word, Who made both morn 
and eve ; 
The spangled heav'ns with lights the great' st and 

least ; 
The ayre, sea, earth, peopled withfowle, fish, 

beast ; 
Man and his wife bove earthly creatures blest ; fi 
Six daies for work, the sev'nth for holy rest : 
That He, I say, that thns did ordinate 
All things of nought, and reall them create, 
Must needs be God ; a Spirit all-sufficient, 
All-knowing, all-procuring, all-efficient; 1( 

Yp-holding all things by His Word and Will ; 
Before, and after Time enduring still ; 
Not subject unto change, all chance disposing ; 
Maintaining Truth, and Errours, all opposing ; 
Rewarding Eight, Avenger of all Wrong ; 15 j 

Most wise, most just, most good ; to Whom belong j 



THE PEKEECT-CTJKSED-BLESSED MAN. 51 

These and all attributes of good pretence 1 , 
As well in abstract as in concreet sense : 
As good as Goodness, as just as Justice ; 
So infinite in all, as that He is 20 

As able to reduce as Earth to frame 2 
All reall things into the state, and name 
Of Nothing ; late their prime origin all : 
So great He was, He is, and ever shall. 
To us made knowne by th' pers'nall Trinitie 25 
Of Father, Son, and Spirit of Ynitie. 
This infinite Creator, this was He 
That made and placed man in that degree, 
That he did shine with perfect glorie dight ; 3 
Having no spot in his Creator's sight : 30 

Framed of earthly mould, a heav'nly creature, 
Bearing the stamp of his Creator's feature ; 
Beyond all earthly creatures having might 
To know, to will, to doe all things right : 
With sov'raign pow'r th' whole world to over- 
sway ; 35 
Having like pow'r his Sov'raign to obey ; 
Free from all ill : from all good likewise free : 

1 = Design : and see Additional Notes at close 
(c) G. 

2 = As able to reduce [or return to original ele- 
ments] Earth as to frame [it]. G. 

3 Adorned. G. 



52 THE PEKFECT-CUKSED-BLESSED MAN, 

To will or nill, at perfect libertie. 

Nor could have bin of these by Time bereav'd, 

For into him Eternitie was breath' d. 40 

Thus was he made in his Creator's Deitie 

A living image, a quick 1 anatomie. 

This is a truth which few conceive aright, 

How man was made in th' image of th' Al- 

might, 2 
Which only thus they labour to express, 45 

In that he bore his Maker's holiness : 
Set in the state of perfect puritie, 
Without all blemish and innrmitie. 
And this is all some care to understand 
Of that likeness Ma.n had from h's Soveraign's 

hand. 50 

But as for God's essentialitie 
Exprest by personall proprietie ; 3 
This is a truth acknowledg'd so transcendent, 
As that of this they think no sparks resplendent 
In that likness wherin man was created : 55 

Nor that thereto he was assimilated. 



1 Vital. G. 

2 See Note 6 in our Phineas Fletcher, Vol. II. pp 205, 
206, oq early changes of orthography to suit rhythm and 
rhyme. G. 

3 Property = possession. G. 



THE PEHFECT-CTJKSED-BLESSED MAN. 53 

Wheras I think — and so dare here avouch — 

As fair a spark thereof in man doth couch, 

As of God's other pow'rs essentiall : 

Though made a Person individual].. 60 

Which lest I seem to talk-of l all in vaine, 

Thou great Inspirer help me to explain. 

The dust once form'd, the spirit of life was breath' d, 

Both which to both by God were so bequeath' d, 

That instantly one person they became, 65 

A reasonable creature, Man by name. 

And thus the man was made spirituall 

By reason of his soul cselestiall : 

Which doth enable him to represent 

Th' essentiall spirit of th' Omnipotent. 70 

This soule like God's essentialitie 

Containeth in't a three-fold facultie, 

Whereby the Trinity is figured, 

That God-like man might be more honoured. 

First is the Minde, which giveth pow'r and 

skill, 75 

Whereby we know, we judge what's good, what's 

ill. 
Next is the Will, begotten of the minde : 
For till we know, to will we'r not enclinde 

1 Printed ' talk-of ' as noticed in Epistle-dedicatory : 
and so throughout in the Poem I insert the - in locis. GK 



54 THE PEKEECT- CURSED -BLESSED MAX. 

Then from the minde' s conceipt and will's affection 

Proceeds an active pow'r of operation. 80 

This Intellect, or Minde conceiving rather 

Deriv'd from none, resembles God the Father. 

The Will, child-like the minde' s election, 

Doth rightly personate e'en God the Son. 

From Minde and Will proceeds apparant most, 85 

A pow'r to doe, like God the Holy Ghost. 

And as we know those glorious Persons Three 

Essentially but one God only be : 

So for undoubted truth we may it take, 

These faculties but one soule only make, 90 

But as the Holy Father worketh not 

Without the Son, Who was of Him begot ; 

!Nor yet the Son without the Father's minde, 

The Holy Ghost neither, but all conjoin' d : 

So neither doth the Minde, nor yet the Will, 95 

!Nor yet the Working-pow'r seek to fulfill, 

And bring to act the easiest work alone, 

Till all agree, e'en joyntly all in one. 

Yet as we attribute the good Creation 

To God the Father, 1 to the Son, Eedemption ; 100 

And to the blessed Sp'rit the sweet effect 

Of working holiness in God's Elect : 

So we refer to th' minde all understanding ; 

1 But see St. John c I. 3. G. 



THE EEREECT-CUESED-BLESSED MAN. 55 

Election to the will ; to th' power of working 

The work that's done : and so these faculties 105 

Are all employ'd in sevrall offices. 

Besides, as in that glorious Deitie 

Of sacred Persons there's a Trinitie ; 

And yet in time or any kinde of worth 

No inequalitie's in them set-forth. 110 

If any seem, it only seems we know, 

By order of some sweet external! show 

To us, who only judge things outwardly, 

Not ahle to discerne them inwardly. 

So in the soule, the sev'rall faculties 115 

Admit not of any priorities 

Among themselves : for soule no sooner' s nam'd, 

But minde, and will, and pow'r to doe are fram'd : 

Withouten which, or all, or any one, 

Man is not reasonable, soule is none. 120 

And further yet, touching the Deitie : 

Who doth create ? redeem ? and sanctifie ? 

We answer God at every demand : 

When we not three, but one God, understand. 

So touching man ; if any would perceive 125 

What pow'r it is that makes the minde conceive ? 

Or what wher-by the will to choosing' s led ? 

Or what wher-by to doe he's enabled 

To all of these one answer we doe make, 

It is the soule, whence they their powers take. 130 



56 THE PERFECT- CUHSED -BLESSED MAN.. 

And yet in man one soule, not three exist, 

In which one soule all faculties subsist. 

There's yet one knot in this Divinitie : 

How man resembles God's Infinitie ? 

In h's little soule so great varieties, 135 

That in it's stampt all God's proprieties ?* 

As God is infinite, all-comprehending, 

Both past, and present, and without ending : 

So doth the soule of man in ample sort 

Discern all these, and of them make report. 140 

His Memory retaineth things of old : 

Things present, Ynderstanding doth behold : 

And things to come, by th' eye of Providence 

He doth fore-see : so dear's his inward sense. 

Thus as in these, so great is God's goodness, 145 

So in all else man bears the Lord's likness. 

Which rests not barely in the qualitie 

Of outward or of inward sanctitie : 

— Though this be all that usually is said 

T' express the image in which man was made — 150 

But in those reall faculties of his, 

Wher-by he rightly works in holiness : 

Euling all things with supreme domination, 

That are within this sublunary nation : 

Enjoying eke,, to bring full joy to h's life, 155 



1 Attributes. G. 



THE PERFECT-CUESED-BLESSEI) J&AX. 67 

The joy full consort of a joyous wife. 

Yet as the most accomplisht pourtrature 

Is but the bare idoea of some creature ; 

Which can by no means actually express 

The vitall faculties ther-of : much less 160 

Can finite man th' infinities adoequate 1 

In pow'r ; though inf 'nite pow'rs he actuate, 

Man is in deed of the world but a point : 

Yet points he out the whole world ev'ry joynt. 

His soule sun-like the measurer of how'rs 165 

Gives life and sense to all the bodie's pow'rs : 

Which being sphoer'd in'ts bodie's organon, 

— And that though center' d in this horizon — 

Can send its winged thoughts from East to West 

And yet it selfe immov'ably to rest. 1 70 

His minde's a mappe with such varieties fraught^ 

As in the greater world at large are taught, 

Or 'tis a shoppe where Yertue's works are fram'd, 

Which sent abroad, they just, wise, good are 

nam'd : 
His intellect a cleare prospective 2 glass 175 

Attracts to minde, what shall be, is ; and was. 

1 E-quate or equal (?) G. 

2 Perspective = telescope. So in Milton, u Time's 
long and dark prospective glass. (Vacation Exercise^ 
line 71.) Gh 



58 THE FEBEECT-CUBSED-BLESSED MAK, 

Or 'tis an eye to pry into the cause 

Of Nature's secret work, of Beason's lawes. 

His Beason, queen of all his faculties 

Enacteth lawes, and rules, and liberties. 180 

Or 'tis the scrutinie of Veritie, 

Dispelling clowds of Ambiguitie. 

His Will, commands free as an emperess, 

Subduable by neither wile no prowess. 

Or 'tis a castle of Besolution, 185 

Wherein are engines of execution. 

His "Wit's a liying well-spring of invention 

Affording unto Will, all due attention. 

Or 'tis a hand to reach from Memorie 

The things for use that therin hidden lie. 190 

His Heart's the temple of all reverence 

Wherein the Graces keep their residence. 

Or 'tis the sacred altar of devotion, 

When Grace and Will consent upon the motion. 

His Conscience is a little God in h's brest, 195 

To tell him of his deeds, what's curst, what's 

blest. 
Or it is else, the sentence being found, 
A secret friend, or foe, to cleare or wound. 
His close, unseen affections appear 
Like sparks blown-up with sorrow, joy, love, 

fear. 200 

Or else like greedie names devour and wast 



THE PERFECT-CUKSED-BLESSED MAN. 59 

Their nat'rall forces while their fewell last. 
His inward senses outwardly are blinde, 
Discerning only what the outward flnde. 
Much like neat 1 inward rooms, dark like the 
night, 205 

Till that with outward beams they be made 

light. 
His Common-sense is senses' common-hall, 
"Where outward senses' forms assemble all. 
Tor all the outward senses serve, I wis, 
Their abstract forms to retransmit to this. 210 
His Fantasie's a childish lord, like pleas' d 
"With good or ill ; when once on either seiz'd. 
Or like a brainless tyrant, raging still 
'Gainst reason, consc'ence, right, to have his wil. 
His llemorie's the store-house of the minde, 215 
To lay-up close what th' intellect doth finde. 
Or 'tis his register for after-times, 
Where he records mens' glories or their crimes. 
His outward senses are the known Cinque-ports, 2 
Whereto, and whence all knowledge safe re- 
sorts. 220 
Or they are else, each in their proper kinde, 

1 = clean, pure. See additional Notes at close (e). G. 

2 A kind of fishing-net having ' ports ' or entrances: 
a playful allusion to the historical Cinque-ports. G-. 



60 THE PERFECT-CURSED -BLESSED MAX. 

So many sev'rall touch-stomes of the minde. 
The sense of Touch all o're the body spreads 
His medium, and so his object reads : 
For subtill nerves *twixt skin and flesh doe 

grow, 225 

Which from the brain diff asedly doe flow. 
The sense of Sight hath crista!! eyes to see 
All visibles that in th' horizon be : 
Which like a seale doe true expression make 
Of th' outward forms which they doe inward 

take. 230 

The Hearing through the organon of eares, 
Once strook with ay'r, all sounds distinctly heares;: 
Which- eccho-like into the brain resownd 
The qualities of each received sownd. 
The Taste, all savours by the tongue receives, 235 
Through its moist, porie superficies. 
Whose liquid touch, on wholsome feeding things, 
To th' power nutritive his foyson 1 brings. 
The Smelling- sense doth all such sents assume 
As doe the nostrils through the ay'r perfume. 240 
Whose object it embraceth, or rejects, 
As good or ill the organon reflects. 
His body though in show a slender stemme, 
Yet is't of reall things the richest gemme. 

1 See additional Notes at close (d). G. 



THE PEEFECT-CTTRSED -BLESSED MA^. 51 

Or for the soule a curious built pallace, 245 

Lodging herpow'rs each in a royall place. 

His head's the watch-to wre of that goodly frame, 

Keeping a sentinell o're all the same. 

Or of this microcosme the hi'ghest sphsere, 

Whence his soule's star-like faculties appear. 250 

His speech is princely Reason's messenger 

Making the tongue his heart's interpreter; 

Or 'tis a caracter wherby he's knowne, 

As well as by his face of all his owne. 

His face, of outward beauty is the mirrour, 225 

Yet striketh brutes with a majestick terrour. 

Or 'tis the ensigne of his inward brest, 

Displaying love, or hate, therin to rest. 

His hands the scale and sword of Iustice hold, 

To render weale or woe to yong and old. 260 

Or for himself e they'r servants ready prest 

Alwaies at hand to doe their service best. 

His feet, the basis whereon all are builded, 

Hoe make him stand, no further help b'ing yeelded. 

Or they are stedie porters to convey him, 265 

"When that he stirs what way his mind doth sway 

him. 
It were too much to tell what powers reigne 
In h's sinews, veins, lungs, lights, 1 blood, livour, 

brain. 

1 ' Light ' = the eyes. G. 



62 THE PERFECT-CUESED-BLESSED MAN. 

But last of all, of all things the heav'ns under, 
All these in one, make man the greatest won- 
der. 270 
All these in one, must needs be wonder great' st : 
For ev'ry one's a wonder, ev'n the least. 
I'st not a wonder man should be create 
Of nothing ? That from thence to such estate 
He should be rais'd, as to become partaker 275 
Of all that's good ? In th' image of his Maker ? 
That finite should the inf 'nite actuate ? 
That he in one thought should capitulate 1 
Things past, and present, and to come ? That he 
Should of this Vni verse the sov'raign be ? 
And rule all things with majesty snd might ? 
And yet a naked, and a little wight ? 
That he of this world but a point should be, 
Yet comprehend the world's varietie? 
The Earth : the Sea : the regions of the ay'r : 285 
Heav'ns altitude : their distances compare ? 
The secret vertues of earth-hidden mines ? 
The ope 2 aspect of stars crossing the signes ? 
"Where th' Artick and th' Antartick pole is flxt ? 

1 See additional notes at close (/) . G. 

2 == So Shakespeare repeatedly : e. g. i the brazen 
gates of heaven may ope ' (3 Henry VI. II. i.) " behold ! 
the heavens do ope " (Coriolanus v. 3.) G. 



THE PEEFECT-CUESEI) -BLESSED HAN. 63 

Where Zenith, Nadir, and their Center's mixt? 290 

The revolutions of the restless sphseres ? 

Whose un-eav'n motions make e'vn daies, mon- 

eths, years ? 
The circled confines of the wide World's center ? 
The reign of kings, both where and when they 

enter ? 
That he beyond the world's circumference 295 
Should in his thought transcend, and fix his sense 
On that which all sense, and all thought exceeds ? 
this great wonder breeds ! great wonder breeds ! 
All these great wonders are. Oh then who can 
Wonder enough all these should be in Man ? 300 
men ! angels ! admire ev'ry how'r ! 
Admire ! and praise the great Creatour's pow'r ! 
That powred into man such inf nite worth ! 
That worthily no tongue can it set-forth ! 
Let men, let angels set-forth what they can, 305 
They can set-forth no worthier thing than man. 
So great ! so good ! so absolutely free ! 
That independent, save of God, was he. 
Perfect in all : — to perfect-up this storie — 
Had he stood still, h'ad still stood full of 

glorie. 310 



6 4 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAN. 



ittatVB JEtBerie bg his Bigmratiim; 



THE ARGUMENT. 

Above which height of bliss when he would rise 
Headlong he fell to depth of miseries. 

Man aspiring, overthrew himselfe and his posteritie, 11 
1 — 20. — the entrance of Sin, 11 21 — 28. — the guilt and 
reward of Sin, 11 29 — 34. — the effects of Sin in his person, 
11 35— 42.— in his soule, 11 43— 52.— in his body, 11 53—60. 
manifested in his actions, 11 61 — 64. — the wages of Sin, 
'death temporall, eternall, 11 65 — 70. — whereupon man 
neeth and feareth, 11 71 — 85. — God findeth him, and 
examineth his fault, 11 86 — 94 — and proceeds to censure, 
11 95— 98.— Satan, the Serpent, 11 99— 120— the Woman; 
the Man, 11 121 — 148. — for whose sake God curseth the 
Earth, 11 149 — 158 — the living creatures, and all other 
•creatures, 11 159 — 166. — Man punished in his person, 11 
167 — 182. — by the creatures coelestiall, terrestrial, 11 183 — 
214. — accidentally, intentionally, 11 215 —244. — by his 
wife, by his children, by his neighbours, 11 245 — 272 — 
Man's miserable condition, 11 273 — 292. — 

1 A separate title-page occupies page 19, as follows: 
1 The Cvrsed Man : setting-forth Mans Miserie by his 
Degeneration '. G. 




THE PEREECT-CT/RSED-BLESSED MA1ST. 66 

TJT fickle Man, ambitiously bent 
With glorious state not holding him con- 
tent, 

Proud, Lucifer-like, greedy to arise 
To higher pitch of glorie, did devise 
To throw himselfe, and his posteritie 5 

Into the Lake of all extremitie. 
Their bodies, soules, their persons, their estate, 
By Sin, Death, Hell, for aye to ruinate. 
For here this Man must be considered, 
As the main root from whence are issued 10 

The sev'rall branches of each sev'rall man 
Which shall, are, have bin since the world began. 
' When roots corrupt, then must the branches needs 
* Corrupted be : for root the branches feeds.' 
So is't with him, and his ; he drank corruption, 1 5 
Which poys'ned him, and all his generation, 
For soon as he, his great Creatour's will 
— Having full pow'r it freely to fulfill — 
Did wilfully reject to choose a toy 1 
He ther-upon bad farewell to all joy. 20 

By which first fault, he shook hands with the devill, 
And promist wel come f ev'ry kinde of evill. 
For he — blinde soule ! — misled by fond 2 conceipt, 

1 A trifle = (traditionary) apple. Cf. Paradise Lost : 
Book I. at beginning. G. 

2 Foolish. G. E 



66 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAU. 

Thought evill, good ; and good, a plain deceipt. 

Then sins like caterpillars 'gan to swarm, 25 

Or sonldjer-like by strength and mighty arm, 

Came rnshing-in upon him : and with snares 

Of guilt and death bound him, and all his heirs. 

1 Foes now he finds them whom he took for friends: 

' Though all too late he sees it by their ends : 30 

1 For though sins seem to better our estate, 

1 They are of utter ruine but the bait. 

1 And Satan Syren-like doth us allure 

1 With natt'ring shows, sin's poison to procure. 

For all man's powers and pers'nall faculties 35 

Were pois'ned all ; chang'd their abilities. 

In doing well, he once did well resemble 

The glorious God : but now — woe's me !— I 

tremble 
So horrid thing to tell of myne own kin ; 
He rightly represents the deyill in 40 

Pravitie of perverse disposition, 
And active pow'r of dev'lish expedition. 
Those some-time sweet abilities of soule, 
Not one but now deserves a sharp controwle. 
In stead of Divine knowledge, th' intellect 45 

Gross errour interteins : in which respect 
The rationall pow'rs, the sensitive, 
The concupiscible, th' operative, 
Are dis-affected, all disabled so ; 



THE PEKFECT-CTTESED-BLESSED MAN. 67 

That 'mongst them all, not one their office 
know. 50 

His wit deviseth, will resolveth ill, 
Eeason mainteins ; his act expresseth still. 
For's body too, his soule's fit organon, 
Is made unfit by his transgression 
To doe its office well : yea well how can it ? 55 
Sith 1 all corruption since hath, seazed on it. 
Its members all must needs be slaves to sin, 
When all the bodie's held captive therin. 
Which makes him to all ill be ready bent, 
But unto good alwaies malevolent. 60 

Such is this monster-cripple, 2 devill-man, 
That all things ill, but nothing well he can. 
Hence errours, schismes, heresies in Religion : 
Hence murthers, thefts, fraud in his conversation : 
Hence to a cursed death his body's thrall, 65 

And so's his soule to death, death inf email. 
Where damned ghosts of dead men raging cry, 
They doe at once in torments live, and die : 
They die, they think, flames of eternal! fire 
So burne their soules : but death's no whit the 
nigher. 3 70 

1 Since. G. 

2 See additional Notes at close, (g) G. 

3 See Locnstse of Phineas Fletcher : Vol. II. p 20, 
and cf. Vol. I. p. 182. G. 



68 THE PERFECT-CHRSED-BLESSED MAN. 

The man thus plung'd by cruell sin's invasion, 
Tries, though in vain, to 'scape by sly evasion. 
Here close he creeps, there lurks behinde the 

trees 
In's levie 1 suit, and thinks that no eye sees. 
' His consc'ence tould him he had God offended, 75 
'And, if he stir, he will be apprehended. 
1 Yet — out alas ! — he felt within his brest, 
1 The sting of guilt, of horrour, and unrest. 
So restless there he could not rest at all : 
For when he heard his dreadfull Maker call, 80 
As his fear-strucken heart had made him skout, 
So now again the same fear driv' him out. 
' Grace, and the fear of God, who have forsook, 
' For plagues and vengeance, cannot choose but 

look. 
And as he fear'd, so forthwith it befell : 85 

For this great God, with wrath, and fury fell, 2 
Did not long hold the man in deep suspense, 
But censur'd him for's disobedience. 
Yet first enquired how the sin was wrought, 
— Not that He knew not, but — to show we ought 90 
1 Not rashly unto iudgement to proceed, 
' Till that we know both circumstance and deed. 



2 Leafy or leafie, as in Giles Fletcher. G. 

3 Keen, fierce. G. 



THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAN. 69 

1 And as we finde by certaine information, 
* Then, loe, to judge with dne deliberation. 
The fact, with all the passages b'ing scand, 95 
The actours with their accessaries stand, 
All present there found guilty at the barre, 
Hearing how they in order censur'd are. 
LI Satan first — sometime an angell bright, 
Like serpent now, for so he seem'd in sight — 100 
'Cause he was first of all sin, the deviser, 
Pretending Man thereby should be made wiser : 
Hence sins of all kindes he shall covet still, 
But above all, as his most good, most ill. 
For dust of sin, and sin's the dregs of dust, 105 
— Though deadly poyson — he his diet must. 
But when by sin he ayms at greatest spoil, 
From Woman's Seed he shall have greatest foil. 
Yet he in h's horrid den will peevish lurk, 
And all un-seen promote his cursed work. 110 
As here his foule intent he made seem fair, 
And catcht the simple woman by the snair 
Of serpent's subtiltie : for which pretence 
Twixt their two natures grow such hatied thence, 
That serpents and such creeping things shall 
fright 115 

Mankinde ; but women most upon the sight. 
And 'bove all cattle he is cursed so, 
He shall most basely feed, most beastly goe. 



70 THE PERFECT-CTTBSED-BLESSED MAN. 

' These accessaries served thus, may serve 
« To make's take-heed how we make others 
swerve. 1 20 

The woman next — for she t'was next offended — 
Stood after them the first to be condemned. 
Though Satan father, she was mother first 
Of sin : and so for sin was next accurst. 
She had indeed both formerly conceiv'd ; 125 

And brought forth sin to man : but was deceiv'd ; 
Eor when she lookt for joy, it turn'd to pain, 
Not only to her selfe : but to remain 
To her's, and their's for ever ; for our God 
Did lay it on that sexe, as a just rod, 130 

That women all with bitter gripings wrung 
"With throws 1 and pangs, should breed and bear 

their yong. 
That they should also live in strict subjection 
''nto their husband's will : who's sweet direction 
Must be their law. And so their whole desire 135 
Must subject be to what their lords require. 

* Ye lovely women, when yee'r loving wives 

* Your husbands then doe not disquiet your lives 
' By any kinde o f unkinde imposition : 

' Nought wins them so, as your kinde disposi- 
tion. 140 

1 Throes. G. 



THE PEBFECT-CUItSED-BLESSED MAN. 71 

' What boots it them o're you to play the rex, 1 

1 Since for their help they chiefly choose your sex 

i Tojoyn with them, and be their comforters 

1 In woe : at least their fellow- sufferers. 

For see how God be-set the man with woes, 145 

Making all Nature's children turn his foes. 

* Cause man himself e from God was now declin'd, 

God made the creatures all goe-out of kinde. 

He curst the ground or with sterility, 

Or else with hurtfull weeds fertility : 2 150 

Which — once b'ing blest to bring-forth wholesome 

meat 
Of its accord, without man's care or sweat : 
Now — yeelds him nought, or things that are worth 

nought 
Till by his pains to goodness they be brought. 
He's therefore fore' t with sorrow and with toile, 155 
For his reliefe to digge and till the soile : 
Lest by life-wasting Hunger raw-bon'd Death, 
Through want of bread do bring him to want 
breath. 
The living- creatures also, once all tame, 
Now refractory, and all wilde became. 160 

All things b'ing harmless, now all harmfull grew 

1 King. G. 

2 See additional Notes at close. (A) G. 



72 THE PEKFECT-CT7KSED -BLESSED MAN. 

And still than old, more harmfull is the new. 

For Nature's selfe, and all that's naturall, 

Vnnat'rally prov'd all unnaturall. 

Thus all for him, and he for his offence 1 65 

Became accurst : loe here sin's recompence. 

But this not all : for ev'n in h's person he 

Is made a prey to endless miserie. 

"While that he lives life nat'rall in the flesh, 

Diseases, or inveterate or fresh, 1 70 

Doe daily vex his body more or less : 

And crosses eke his soule with care oppress. 

' For God, Who in bestowing gifts takes pleasure, 

1 Doth look for a proportionable measure 

' Of strict and exquisite obedience, 175 

' As homage due in lieu of recompense. 

Instead of which when He beholds that we 

Delight our selves in thankless jolitie, 

And willfull disobedience to His lawes : 

Then loe in furious anger down He throwes 180 

Vpon our heads, the fire-brands of His wrath, 

That He for our destruction treasur'd hath. 

He makes the creatures of all kindes to swell 

With raging zeal each other to excell 

In prodigall effusion of their ire, 185 

By thunder, tempests, lightning, water, fire. 

The cristall heav'ns, whose kinde benevolence 

Man's life maintain'd by holsome influence ; 



THE PEKFECT-CTJKSED-BLESSED MAN. 73 

Left all their proper offices to powre 

Deserv'd destruction in a flaming showre 190 

Of fire and brimstone on a reachless 1 rout, 

Whose sins for vengeance lowd to heav'n did 

shout. 
1 Thus Hell from Heav'n God sent to punish sin : 
1 A Hell indeed to those whose lot was in. 
The fruitful!. show'rs,and mollifying rain 195 

Forsook likewise their fructifying vain, 2 
And fell so fierce at God's just indignation, 
That by an universall inundation, 
All living things, and whatsoever grew, 
Were all destroy' d of all kindes, save a few. 200 
' Observe we here the different respects 
1 Of what God's love, and what His wrath effects. 
1 It is our wealth if God in mercy rain : 
1 Eut if in wrath, alas ! it is our bain. 
The Earth also that sluggish element 205 

— Not able longer through sad discontent 
To bear rebellious sinners weight — did cleave 
Asunder in the midst, and so bereave 
Them of themselves, their houses, goods, and all : 
For down alive into the pit they fall. 210 

1 = Retchless i e Wretchless. Cf. our ^Phineas 
Fletcher, iii. 12. G. 

2 Vein. G. 



74 THE PERFECT- CUESED -BLESSED MAN. 

' Since wrong to God dead things did thus aright, 

* let us fear God's all-revenging might. 
' Who can as well by any other thing 

' On careless sinners dreadfnll judgements bring, 
As here for these. For how did He alas ! 215 
Strike dead a company as they did pass 
Neare to the towre of Silo, 1 which did fall 
With violence on them, and slew them all. 

* Not that they were of some abomination 

* More guilty, or more lewd in conversation, 220 

* Than other men that scaped that mischance : 
4 But that His glory God might so advance. 
Full many have the secret judgements been, 
And still are many fearefull to be seen, 

That God inflicts on man, by sea and land, 225 
To show the pow'r of God's reveng'ing 2 hand. 
< All which undoubtedly for sin are wrought, 
' Though that not alwayes unto light be brought. 
1 For sin no sooner had the pow'r t' invade us, 

* Eut to God's judgements straight it subject made 

us. 230 

Sometimes by Dearth : by bloody Wars sometimes : 
Sometimes by Plagues God punisheth our crimes : 



1 Siloam. See St. Luke c xiii. 1 — 5. G. 

2 = avenging. G. 



THE PEEFECT-CTJESED-ELESSED MAN. 75 

Sometimes by Shame, by Griefe, by sland'rous 

lies : 
Sometimes by lions, bears ; by frogs and flies : 
Sometimes by mighty troupes of rats and 

mice : 235 

And schoals of wormes, and hngh armies of lice. 
Which little vermine are the full'st of wrath, 
And fierce revenge ; as the old Poet saith ; 
' The basest ever is the most severe, 
' Once having got the pow'r to dominere. 1 240 
All other creatures likewise of all kindes, 
Both quick and dead have shown revengeful! 

mindes 
'Gainst man for sin : so that he's in that case 
That surely safe he's not in any place. 
His wife besides, which is his other selfe, 245 
Doth often play the chang'ling, and the elfe ; 
Not caring how she vex, nor how she grieve him :: 
Wheras with comfort she should still relieve him : 
* And yet herein she does but as did he, 
1 He to himself e is foe, and so is she. 250 

His children also, blossomes of his strength, 
His present hope of future joy at-length, 
Hoe often prove unruly, and doe vex him. 
"With rude exploits, which inwardly perplex him. 
[ For he in them himself e beholds aright, 255 

1 See additional Notes at close {%) G. 



76 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAN". 

i How sleigh tly he respected God All-might, : l 

4 Preferring more his longing wife's desire, 

1 Than love of Heav'n or fear of hellish fire. 

* Eight so his sons, they think themselves so wise, 

1 That folly 'twere to follow his advise 260 

And as for neighbour-people round about him, 

It is a world to see how they doe flout him. 

If he be great, a king, a duke, a lord, 

They basely praise his indiscreetest word. 

If he be born a man of low degree, 265 

They keep him down in base servilitie. 

If rich they rob him, lest too well he fare ; 

If poor, then hang him, such but vermine are. 

If he doe well, through envie they doe carp : 

If ill, it is their tabret and their harp. 270 

Let him be great, or good, or friend, or foe, 

He wants not them, that will procure his woe. 

"What e're he be, he's not without his cross, 

He's sensible of grief e, or pain, or loss. 

Now, loe the man, that whilom was so neat, 2 275 

So glorious, so God-like, and so great, 

Is now become most vile, yea most abhorr'd 

Of these creatures of whom he was the lord. 

As he to God rebellious was first, 

1 As "before : see page 86, foot-note 2. G. 

2 As before ' pure ' or worthy. G. 



THE PERFECT- CURSED-BLESSED MAN". 77 

So they to him, ere since he was accurst. 280 

cursed man ! miserable wight ! 

On whom all plagues of Hell, Earth, Heav'n are 

light. 
Both what he hath without, or him within, 
Are all or'e-thrown through guilt of deadly sin. 
Look-on his person ; look-on his estate ; 285 

That's totally deprav'cl ; this desperate. 
So that he must in grievous miserie 
First spend his daies ; then die eternally. 
From grace and glory being once depos'd, 
To shame and woe for ever he's expos' d 290 

For 'ts not in him to work a remedie, 
B'ing quite depriv'd of all abilitie. 




78 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAN. 



THE ARGUMENT. 

Whose wofull state the heaVnly Powers pitie, 
And doe consult to "bring him to their Citie. 

Man's Redemption propounded, and discust by the 
heavenly Powers, 11 1 — 10 — moved by Pitie, granted by 
Mercy, 11 11 — 34 — resisted by Iustice, 11 35 — 48 — they 
appeale to Truth, 11 49 — 66. — Truth resolveth against Mer- 
cy, 1167—93. — confideth in Iustice, 11 94—109. — wherupon 
Mercy complaineth, expostulateth and prayeth, 11 110 — 
157. — Wrath interrupts Mercy and joineth with Iustice 
and Truth 158 — 167— exalteth God's zeal and threatneth 
Man's punishment, 11 168 — 201 — Peace mitigateth Wrath : 
pacifieth Iustice and Truth : cheereth and animateth Mer- 
cy : and admonisheth to refer the cause to Wisdome, 202 — 
238. — they applaud it : Wisedome undertaketh it, openeth 
it, decidethit, and ascribethto every one their due, 11 239 — 
280, — her decision is applauded, 11 281 — 285 — Reason's 
quaere : to which Goodness answers, 11 286 — 314 — Truth 
replieth that Reason is not yet satisfied : for one alone 
cannot make satisfaction, whereupon Charity inciteth all 
the Divine Powers to joyn in one for the business ; they 

1 A separate title-page occupies page 33, as follows : 
* The Blessed Man : setting-forth Man's Felicitie in that 
his Regeneration is consulted -of by the Heav'nly Powers.' 

a. 



THE PEEFECT-CTTKSED-BLESSED MAN. 79 

all meet and promise assistance. 11 315 — 356. — God appro- 
veth their consent : and declareth how Man's Redemption 
shall he wrought "by His Word incarnate to fulfill Right- 
eousness, and to suffer punishment for Man, 11357 — 392. — 
for which work He promiseth to enahle the Messias, 11 
393 — 4io. — this promise was found eflectuall upon the 
revealing of it, both to lew and Gentile. 411 — 424. 




OE then th' All-able God, the God of Love 
To help this helpless wight Himselfe did 
move. 

Which caus'd immediately, ev'n with th' intention 
A short and sweet, but yet a sharp contention, 
Amongst the pow'rs of God's own Hierarchie : 5 
Some said it could, some said it could not he, 
Some wisht it might, but knew not how it could, 
Some knew it could, and also that it should. 
About this wretch thus sundry parts were taken : 
As some would have him sav'd, so some for- 
saken. 10 
Pitie 'gan first with tender-hearted speech 
For grace, the God of all grace to beseech 
On Man's behalfe : repeating all the story 
Os his Creation ; how that he for glory 
Everlasting, not for everlasting 15 
Shame and woe, was made in the beginning. 
Albeit then he feU from that estate, 



80 THE PEKFECT-CTTRSED-BLESSED MAN. 

Yet sith 1 God Thou diedst him create 

After the likeness of Thyselfe to be 

A living image of Eternitie : 20 

then let not the power of sin disgrace 

This some-time glorious man ! But show Thy face 

Of Mercy unto him, and to his wife, 

And to their progenie ! grant them life ! 

Life of glory ! But first the life of grace ! 25 

So shall not sin, nor death, nor Hell deface, 

Nor blot-out of Thy Book of Blessedness 

Their silly soules now drown' d with cursedness. 

hear ! help ! the glory will be Thine ! 

All hearts will praise Thy mercy so divine : 30 

Pitie had thus her speech no sooner ended, 

But Mercy mov'd with pitie condescended. 

And urg'd th' same before th' Eternal's throne, 

That favour might for Pitie' s sake be showne. 

Which lustice, swolne with angry discontent, 35 

Oppos'd forthwith : 2 saying, reconcilement 

'Twixt God and man, without due recompence, 

Were wrong to God, to me 'twere just offence : 

And therefore sister Mercy, said lustice, 

Before you plead for man take good advice. 40 

Enquire of Truth to know how the case stands, 

If pardon may be had ; and at whose hands : 

1 Since. G. 2 See additional Notes at close (j). G. 



THE PEKEECT-CI7ESED -BLESSED MAN. 81 

For take this as an oracle most true, 

Where wrong's not satisfied, no favour's due. 1 

Doe you forbear, then 2 Mercy straight repli'd, 45 

To speak of oracles : let them abide 

In Truth's all-knowing brest them to declare 

For resolution, when suiters repaire. 

Nor think not, Iustice, think not that I fear 

That this my suit before Truth should appear. 50 

For I to Truth, to any, or to all 

For their consent, will give consent to call. 

Hear then Truth ! to thee we doe appeal, 

Do thou to us this mystery reveal : 

And say, if not in me the power lies 55 

To work man into grace in h's Maker's eies. 

Or if that Iustice in it have a share ; 

Resolve us this : speake Truth, and doe not spare. 

But sparingly did Truth begin to speak, 

Pretending 3 she for such task was too weak ; 60 

When she indeed to meddle in't was loath, 

Because she knew she could not please them both. 

) this desire to please doth often hide 



1 Cf. with all this Giles Fletcher on Justice and Mercy, 
and our refutation of Dr. George Macdonald thereon, in 
Phineas Fletcher, Yol. I., pp. ccclii — ccclxi. G, 

2 Misprinted ' than.' G. 

3 = Professing or pleading. G, 



82 



THE PEBFECT-CTTBSED -BLESSED MAN". 



' The secret truth, when Eight and "Wrong are 
try'd. 

But she, nathles, because they both desir'd her, 65 
Spake to the point, that Heav'n and Earth admir'd 

her. 
I doe confess — said she — great pitie 'twas, 
That 'gainst his Maker man did so trespass ; 
As that thereby deprived of all good, 
And with all evill he depraved stood : 70 

But for that fact, that he God's vengeance bear 
Eternally, certes no pitty t'were. 
* Eor better 'twere that men, that augels all 
' Should aye be damn'd, than God's decree should 
fall. 

' But God's decree will constant stand for ever, 75 
1 And Sin and Death will alwaies goe together. 
To plead Man's pardon then, sweet Mercy, dear, 
Till Iustice be aveng'd, doe you forbear. 
For God did say to mast, in that same day 
Thou dost transgress, thou dost thy selfe betray 80 
To death, and all th' extremities of Hell : 
"Which to endure in wrath I'le thee compell, 
But God did jest, the Devill man perswaded ; 
In earnest then that vengeance God inflict 
Ypon the man, it stands with Iustice strict. 85 
6 For His decrees God never will dissolve : 
i But aye fulfils what once he did resolve, 



THE PEREECT-CTJRSED-BLESSED MAN. 83 

Nor can Man for his fault make God amends, 

Since by his fault his powers all he spends. 

Nor is't in you kinde Sister, to release him 90 

From all or any one of h's pains which grieve him. 

For it directly makes both against me, 

And 'gainst our Sister Iustice-Equitie. 

"Wherefore dear Sister Iustice stoutly stand ; 

Maintain thy right in this cause now in hand : 95 

See thou yeeld not without due satisfaction, 

To free the man guilty of so foule action. 

Which if you should, you God dishonoured, 

And cruelly your selfe abolished. 

And me you banish from God's heav'nly throne, 100 

From whence the beams of Truth have ever shone : 

And then forth-with.will lies, and errours vile 

God's glorious chair eternally defile. 

The summe of all dear Sisters then is this, 

That either man for what he did amiss 105 

Must satisfie ; which he can never doe : 

Or else must suffer pain of endless woe, 

This is the state which now doth best beseem him. 

You Mercy may bemone, but not redeem him : 

The case once thus by sacred Truth made plain, 1 1 

Made tender-hearted Mercy to complain, 

That she her selfe, if she be thus restrain'd 

From pardoning, was needlesly ordain'd. 

For only man, said Mercie, needs me most, 



84 THE PERFECT- CURSED -BLESSED MAN. 

Whom since I may not help, my pow'r is lost, 1 1 

What loss therefore to Heaven can acme, 

If all the heav'nly powr's I bid adue ! 

Or if likewise those glorious angels all, 

— Who glory in't that they them -selves may call 

The messengers and ministers of Mercy — 120 

Be banished from their society 

With other angels ! who from Heav'n dismist, 

May from their due attendance then desist. 

Heav'ns ! In all the works of God's creation 

To His great glorie, His great mercie shone. 125 

And over all, in all H e doth preserve, 

Mercie doth never from His goodness swerve. 

And when likewise He ought doth sanctifie, 

Mercie doth still that blessing beautifle. 

And shall not Mercy, Man's Eedemption move, 13 

When to-have mercy, Mercy most doth love ? 

Creation chiefly power doth require : 

And preservation, wisedome doth desire; 

Sanctification, holiness respects : 

Yet Mercie on all these her beams reflects. 1 

And shall no mercy in that office shine, 

Which so restrictively 1 I challenge mine ? 

Kamely to pardon ? to remit ? forgive ? 

Oh ! this is that which makes Mercy to live : 

l == peculiarly, specifically. G. 



THE PEEFECT- CURSED -BLESSED MAN. 85 

Which if in Justice Heav'ns will take-away, 140 
Mercy must dye, and mankinde must decay. 
Father of sp'rits ! doe as well delight 
Of mercie to be God, as God of right ! 
This sin-fain man raise-up t' integrity, 
Or rase me out from Heav'n's society. 145 

What though he sinn'd ! alas, he was but earth ! 
Though dead in sin : Thy grace can give new birth ! 
Though griev'dwith pains : Thou canst 'ford him 



ease 



Though Hell gape for him: Thou canst Hell 

appease ! 
Thou mad'st him Thee to bless eternally : 150 

But damned soules curse everlastingly. 
What glory will from him to Thee arise, 
When he in burning Hell blaspheming lies? 
Restore him gentle God ! Restore him then ! 
Thou shalt be prais'd of angels, and of men. 155 
And me Thou crown' st with glory andrenowne, 
When over all ! — W T hereat Wrath 'gan to frowne : 
And ere that she could end her supplication, 
Thus cut her off, with this sharp replication. 
Our sister Truth did tell you truth of late, 1 60 
In saving man Iustice you ruinate. 
But though for man so earnestly you crave, 
Yet 'tis a crown — belike— that you would have. 
Which, so you get, you nought at all regard, 



86 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAW. 

Though Truth and Iustice have no honour 
spar'd : 165 

Who notwithstanding are to God as dear, 
As Mercy : or what attributes soe're. 
' Eut Heav'n and Earth shall know what Truth 

affirms, 
i Ieho van's zeal for Iustice' sake confirms, 
When mighty angels did themselves exalt, 1 70 
Down from the Heav'ns to Hell's infernall vault 
I threw them headlong 1 instantly : how than 2 
Can this proud worm, this trait'rous cative-nian ! 
That hath not pow'r weak motions to withstand, 
How can he scape the force of my strong hand ? 175 
For 'fore that Heav'ns should grant Man a remission 
And not on some equivalent condition ; 
Or that the Earth should yeeld him nutriment 
By annuall-successive increment ; 
The fruitfull plains with barrenness I'le strike, 1 80 
And make his dwelling-places Sodom-like. 
The show'ring clouds I'le turn to banks of brass : 
And th' Earth to iron that so fruitfull was.. 
The flintie rocks to shivers I will tear, 

1 See additional Notes at close, (k). G, 

2 =then. Cf. as before, Note 6 : Ph. Fletcher. Yo 
II. pp. 205-206 for like changes of orthography to I 
rhyme. G. 



THE PE&FECT-CTJItSEIHBLESSED MAN. 87 

And kernell-sands 1 to mightie mountains rear. 185 
The gladsome Day, and rest-affording Mght, 
That by their intercourse had wont delight, 
I'le turn to timeless motions, never changing 
Their constant changes of unconstant ranging 
Among th' infernall furies ; where the man 190 
Shall be tormented while those furies can. 
To plague him thus, is rightly to reward him, 
From which, nor Heav'n nor Earth shall ever 

guard him. 
Yea all the forces they are able make, 
As thunder, lightning, famine, plague, earth- 
quake : 19 5 
And whatsoever else, as grave and hell, 
Angels and devils, all, I will compell 
To become furious agents in the cause : 
So strict and powerfull are Iehovah's lawes. 
Thus as Truth said, Man's state you may be- 
wail ; 200 
But to redeem't you never shall prevail. 

Peace hereupon — for Mercy could not answer, 
She was through Wrath's peremptory censure 
So speechless grown and heartless ; like to fall : 
Eut Peace — stept-in — affected 2 like to all, 205 

1 See additional Notes at close ft). G. 

2 = Equally -regarding. 



88 THE PERFECT-CT7RSED-BLES5ED MAN. 

And with soft speech did sweetly moderate, 
"What these her Sisters could not arbitrate. 

First she began with mildest exhortation. 
To move them to take-heed of emulation : 
' For that — quoth she— doth often kindle hate ; 210 
1 The bane of bliss, and mine of a State. 
We Sisters are, in one we must consent, 
And not by strict exactions once dissent. 
We know our parts, wherfore let be our care 
Them to discharge, as it comes to our share. 

You Wrath, Truth, Iustice, ye desire no 
more, 215 

But as Man sinn'd, so man he plagu'd therefore. 
Well, fear it not : but constantly expect 
The constant God will duly it effect. 
And Sister Mercy, you desire no less, 
Than for Man's sin that Gocl give forgiveness. 220 
Desire so still : that by importunitie : 
God may be mov'd to grant him immunitie : 
Which yet beleeve it may not prejudice 
Th' inviolable right of strict Iustice : 
Nor any of our worthy Sisters dear, 225 

Who equally to God are seated near. 
And though nor you, nor I, Iustice nor Truth, 
Can see the mean whereby our God renu'th 
The broke estate of miserable Man ; 
Yet certainly our Sister Wisdome can. 230 



THE PERFECT- CURSED -BLESSED MAN. 89 

1 For whatsoe're our Sov'raign God decrees, 

' She th' equitie thereof alwaies fore-sees. 

1 Yea she deviseth things beyond all thought : 

' And then propouncleth how they may be wrought. 

' And happy they, whose actions she directs, 235 

* For only them in favour God respects. 

To her therefore have ye recourse for this, 

And ye shall see, she'll not devise amiss. 

Herewith was Mercy inwardly well pleas'd : 
Truth, Iustice, "Wrath, were ev'ry one ap- 
peas'd. 240 

To Wisdome then they all referr'd the cause : 
When she — making a long but decent pause, 
1 For Wisdome' s alwaies slow to speak enclin'd, 
' She doth so duly ponder all in minde. 
When she — this controverted cause had 

waigh'd, 245 

She orderly the same before them laid. 

The one side pleads — quoth she — that since man- 
kind 
From life to death by sin are all declin'd, 
Then death, due wage to all our God must give, 
Else can, nor Wrath nor Truth, nor Iustice 
live. 250 

If all mankinde — the other side replies- 
Must suffer death for their iniquities ; 
No pitie had of any in God's sight, 



90 



THE PEEEECT-CUXSED-BLESSED MAN. 



Then Mercy, Pitie, Peace, are banisht quite. 

So prejudicial! then, since th' issue is, 255 

That man, or sav'd, or damn'd, all is amiss : 

Iustice, if sav'd : but Mercy, if he die ; 

That th' one of these perforce from heav'n must 

fly: 

And many other of our heavn'ly train 
Shall thereby base indignity sustain. 260 

My doom 1 is this ; to salve and keep all eav'n, 
That man by death to life, by hell to heav'n 
Shall take his course. T' enabl' him for which 

end, 
Let all the punishments Iustice can send 
Be all made good : yea sin, and death, and 

Hell, 265 

And whatsoever most with evill swell, 
Let all of them be made good unto man, 
And then let Wrath inflict ev'n what she can. 

So Mercie may for Man's sin satisfie, 
And Iustice punish man's iniquitie, 270 

Most rev'rend Truth exactly shall appear : 
And austere Iustice strictly dominere. 
Consuming Wrath shall sweetly be appeas'd : 



1 Judgement or decision. 
Vol. IV. 150. G. 



Cf. our Ph. Fletcher, 



THE PERFECT- CURSED -BLESSED MAH". 91 

And all-preserving Mercy shall be pleas'd. 
Remorsefull Pitie shall be highly praised : 275 
And death- deserving Man to new life raised. 
Contentment thns we Sisters all may have, 
And all of us accomplish what we crave. 
So God in all, and of all shall be knowne, 
The God of Life, Death, Glory, Praise, Re- 
nown. 280 
No sooner Wisdome had this case decided, 
But Heav'n and Earth, who stood by sin divided, 
"Were both of them with wonderment astonisht 
At th' equity of what she had admonisht. 
All things with joy 'gan instantly be cheared, 285 
As soon as hope of reconcilement 'peared 
'Twixt God and Man. Yet Reason made this 

quaere, 
How sin ? how death ? how Hell, so dark and 

dreary ? 
How these could be made good ? since for Man's 

fall 
They are the pain to plague the man withall. 290 
To second this, saith Truth, there's none so good, 
That ever yet did spring from tainted blood, 
"Who man's depraved nature could controule 
By changing ill to good, to save his soule. 
To change ill into good ? 'tis to create : 295 

A work of inf'nite pow'r : wherefore no state 



92 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAN. 

Of finite force can be so virtuall, 1 

As to make death to life effectual!. 

' By sin man did an inf'nite Pow'r offend, 

' Which none but infinite Pow'r can amend. 300 

Neither can God man's Mediatour be : 

For who offended was by sin but He ? 

' Tis God in Iustice that looks for amends ; 

Therefore not He, which satisfaction sends. 

Who then is it that makes this evill, good ? 305 

Nor God, nor man : by Reason they'r withstood. 

* Tis I, quoth Goodness, I as Wisdome bod, 2 
Will heale man's sores, and make all eav'n that's 

od. 
I'le make his evill, good ; his death, the way 
Wherby eternall life attain he may. 310 

I'le yeeld my selfe, my uncorrupted essence 
To purifie his soule, his sp'rite, his sense. 
Yea here — behold ! — I offer all I have : 
I'le with hold nought that's needfull man to save : 

Quoth Truth again, kinde Sister you doe 
well: 315 
You offer more than angels' tongues can tell 
Yet cannot your beneficence alone 
Vnright'ous man with right' ous God attone. 3 

1 Strong, potent. G. 2 See foot-note 2, p 86. G. 
3 See additional Notes at close [m). G. 



THE PERFECT- CUJiSED- BLESSED MAN. 93 

"lis more to reconcile man to his Maker, 

Than one can doe, who ere be th' undertaker. 320 

When Charity, who all this while attended, 
Did understand how Goodness was commended 
For her kinde offer : and withall did hear 
No one of th' heav'uly powers sufficient were 
Both to begin and end that work for man : 325 
She straight with love imiam'd, like lightning ran 
From Heav'n to th' Earth and back again ; and so 
Incessantly still posted to and fro, 
And never ceas'd, till she had through-pers waded 
All Pow'rs that ever Heav'n and Earth 

invaded : 330 

— Not only those whose names y'have heard en- 

rold, 
But all the rest that heav'nly functions hold. 
As that high vertue low Humilitie.; 
And never-daunted Magnanimitie ; 
All wrong-enduring humble Patience; 335 

And Fortitude, pow'r of Omnipotence. 
These, as was said, and all the rest that dwell 
In heav'nly pallaces, were pleased well — 
To bring their force and joyn in unitie 
To purchase man that same immunitie 340 

That Mercy crav'd. Loe then they all did meet, 
And prostrate fell at the Eternal's feet ; 
Commending all they had to be employ' d 



94 



THE PERFECT-CUTtSED-BLESSED MAN. 



To save the man, that sin might be destroy' d. 
Yea severe Wrath, that late so strictly stood, 345 
To punish man ; now vow'd to be so good, 
As — after worthy satisfaction tane 
For man's offence — she would thenceforth refrain 
Old torment to inflict for new offence, 
Whens'ere he came in humble penitence. 350 

The like did Truth ; all Graces did the like : 
And kissing each heart-joyning hands did strike. 1 
But Mercie here was the most joyfull Sister, 
"When all of them thus promist to assist her ; 
She weighed not what task she under- went, 355 
Since, to save man, they all had giv'n consent. 
When God th' All-ruling King of Heav'n did see, 
How sweetly they did all in one agree ; 
He let them know that now He was contented 
Man should be sav'd, since they in one consent- 
ed. 360 
And here, behold, sayes this great, gratious King, 
I'le now declare how this same wondrous thing 
Of man's Eedemption shall be brought to pass : 
"Which doth both man's and angels' pow'r surpass. 
Ev'n I, that by My Word the World did frame ; 365 
That dwell in light, and am light of the same ; 



1 Cf. Job xvii. 3. and Proverbs xxii. 26. G. 



THE PEEFECT-CTTRSED-BLESSED MAN. 95 

That all things made, Whom nothing can annoy ; 
That nothing need, and all things can destroy : 
That pow'rfull "Word, that true Selfe-Light of 

Mine, 
That out of darkness did creating shine : 370 

I say, that selfe-same Word Tie send to take 
Man's essence pers'nally ; and so partake • 
With man of humane nature : that so He 
Of Divine Nature may partake with Me. 
And for this purpose, loe! a virgin-mother 375 
Shall by My Sp'rit conceive, and by no other : 
And when the Time of fulness comes, bring-forth 
That heav'nly-humane Seed of inf nite worth. 
In whose Person two natures shall be knit, 
The God-head bodily, man-hood in it. 380 

So God, and Man, yea God-man shall He be, 
The second Person of Our Trinitie, 
In Whom all Graces really shall dwell, 
With all man's pow'rs to make Him men excell. 
Whose office is Our sacred will t' obey : 385 

And for man's breach thereof man's debt to pay. 
In Whom with man we will be fully pleas' d, 
All rigour of our wrath b'ing quite appeas'd. 
No other Person th' Earth nor Heav'ns contain 
That able is such favour to regain. 390 

Yea none can be the sinless Saviour 
Of sinfull flesh, save One of inf 'nite Pow'r. 



96 THF PEKFECT-CUESED -BLESSED MAN. 

All pow'r therefore, Pie powre into His hand, 

That He not only ever may withstand 

All Satan's base, malicious temptations; 395 

Or all Man's vain and carnall inclinations : 

But also may full satisfaction make 

For all man's sin, when Iustice it shall take. 

"Which penalty that He may under-goe, 

Ev'n mortall-like to shame-full death and woe, 400 

His sacred body shall be basely bound : 

Though sin and ill shall nere with Him be found : 

t For since He stands in malefactor's stead, 

' Iustice may justly Him to torments lead. 

i And since again that sinners stand in Him, 405 

' As He is righteous, so count we them. 

This is Our will : yea this have We decreed, 

Whereby from servile state man shall be freed : 

And for these ends, that He perform them all, 

All our own pow'rs shall serve Him at His 
call. 410 

This gratious promise made, most firmly stood 

A law unchangeable ; approved good 

To man, and to his whole succeeding race 

As they t'have faith therein obtained grace. 

And though to Israel t' was first made known, 415 

Yet was the light thereof to th' Gentils shown : 

They holding Him their chiefest Consolation ; 

These, their comfortable Expectation. 






THE PERFECT- CUKSED- BLESSED MAIS". 97 

And thus for many ages both were fed 
"With saving-health from this Seed promised, 420 
For soon as God this saving-promise made, 
It made them live that to beleeve't assai'd : 
And that as well before Christ's incarnation 
As after His most glorious exaltation. 



THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MATT. 98 



Jttatrs Jtliritie ftabreb. 1 



THE ARGUMENT. 

To cursed Death then Christ Himselfe doth give ; 
That blest in Heav'n, man freed from death may live. 

Christ, conceived and horn, 11 1 — 18. — being one Pe: 
He is joyntly described in His divine and Humane Nat 
11 19— 30.— His works, 11 31— 42.— His intertainment, 
43 — 47. — what the "World thought of Him : few we" 
most ill, 11 48 — 60. — how dearly He was affected of those 
few, 11 61 — 68. — how the great ones band against Him, 11 
69 — 74. — the Multitude at first applaud Him, but after to 
humour their great ones deride Him, 11 75 — 88. — they 
watch, attache, arraign, condemn, and kill Him, 11 89- 
118. — the end of His death, 11 119 — 122. — the manner of 
killing Him, 11 123— 174.— the effects of His death, 11 175 
182. — His Resurrection, Ascension and Glorification, 11 
183— 200.— His coming to Iudgment, 11 201— 236.— Man's 
naturall parts refined, 11 237 — 258 — man's corruption and 



1 A separate title-page, occupies page 53, as follows : 
' The Blessed Man : setting forth Man's Felicitie in that hi* j 
Regeneration is Procured.' G. 






THE PERFECT-CUHSED-BLESSED MAJN". 99 

sin abolished by Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, 11 259 — 
286. — the miseries of this life sweetned, 11 287 — S24. — 
His death is made the way to eternall life, 11 325 — 332. — 
where He is rewarded with joyes privative 11 333 — 350. 
positive, 11 351 — 360. — his emploiment in heaven, 11 361 — 
380.— his plea at the bar of God's Iudgment, 11 381—404 
the issue of his plea, 11 405 — 452 — fly-leaf lines 453 — 456. 




HIS Christ was He that promis'd Seed 
That long was long'd-for : Who — though 
God in deed, 
Yet that He might be also very man, 
And so an equall Mediator — ran 
Sun-like through all the signes of humane race, 5 
Appearing first in blessed Virgo's face : 
Who all the world contains, was now contain' d 
"Within her happy wombe : who still remain' d 
A spotless virgin ; and anon the mother 
Of her first Father, Saviour and Brother. 1 

1 A virgin-mother of a son a father 
6 The world nere had, shall nere again have either. 1 



1 Cf. our Giles Fletcher and relative notes, pp 91 — 92 : 
and also our Phineas Fletcher, Vol. I. and clxxii — iii. G. 



LofC. 



100 THE PERFECT-CrKSED-BLESSED MAS. 

"When He was bom, such joy was at His birth, 
That Heav'n and Earth did eccho with the mirth. 
Young Iohnun-born, old Simeon halfe in's grave, 15 
Poore swains, rich sophies 1 in Him comfort have. ; 
Sing then for joy, sing still, sing, doe not cease : 
For now is born the Saviour, King of Peace. 
He was the richest — He was poorest — bom : 
Right-heir of all : — of all the most forlorn — 20 ] 
The great Creatour He : — poore little creature — 
Not made as God : — made man, of fleshly feature — : 
Maker of all lawes — all lawes fulfilling — 
Th' Author of all life : — to die most willing — 
The fair'st of men : of men the most defil'd — 25 J 
Aye-king of bliss : — of woe the cursed childe — 
Inf 'nite each way : each way He greater grew — 
All good, no ill — all humane frailties — knew. 
Admired of the wise — contemn' d of fooles — 
Confuted greatest Doctors in their Schooles. 30 I 
None ever spake like Him, he spake so well ; 
Nor wrought : yet was He counted Prince of Hell. 
Whose words, Whose works, who Mary -like do 

ponder, 
Have all their hearts ev'n fil'd with j oy and j 

wonder. 



1 Wise-men : St. Matthew ii. L Gr. 



THE PEKEECT-CUKSED-BLESSED MAN. 101 

He rais'd the dead; gave health, gave sight to 
blinde, 35 

Conquer' d the devil, calm'd both seas and winde : 
Was alwaies doing good or suff'ring ill, 
That so all right' ousness He might fulfill. 
All vertues flow'd from Him, all graces shin'd 
Clearly in Him : in Him all pow'rs combin'd. 40 
He was the fountain of all harmless mirth ; 
With smiling cheeks, yet nere sent laughter forth : 
But tears, alas ! and heavy sighes, and grones, 
And stripes, and blows, and scoffs for wicked ones 
Were of His fare : and stead of dainty diet, 45 
Hunger and thirst, and weariness for quiet. 
Such though He was, yet was His usage such : 
Some lov d Him dear, some hated Him as much. 

Concerning Him the world stood all divided : 
Few thought Him God, the most such thoughts 
derided. 50 

f Blinde soules that could not see when true Light 
shone 

* From God's own face on Earth to ev'ry one ; 
i Which gratiously did offer unto all 

1 Soule- saving beams of light celestiall. 
' This soule of mine, I'm sure found light of 
grace 55 

' By th' eye of faith fixt on His glorious face : 

* Which wholly was till then averse to good ; 



102 



THE PEKFECT-CXTtSED-BLESSED MAN. 



1 Prone to all ill, and in corruption soodt. 

' Yet 'twas reclaim'd and quickly better reason'd, 

' Wing once by faith in my Redeemer season'd. 60 

Some few there were left all to follow Him : 

Esteeming all too base to fellow Him : 

And joyfully receiv'd him as their Lord, 

Deriving their salvation from His Word ; 

For when they heard, His words were oracles 65 

And saw His deeds no less than miracles ; 

They did conclude He was the very same, 

That had for all, salvation in His name. 

But for the most part kings and potentates, 
Their officers and chiefest magistrates ; 70 

Though 'mongst themselv's they were at hot de 

fiance, 
Yet against Him they joyn'd in league's alliance 
Seeking by secret fraud and open strife, 
The dire destruction of this Lord of Life. 

The giddy-headed, brainless multitude, 75 

— Whom great ones hold in slavish servitude — 
Adoring Him with shouts of joy did sing 
At first, Hosanna ! save us Lord our King ! 
At last their throats, blaspheming Him they 

stretch 
Hosanneia ! now save Thy selfe Thou wretch ! 80 
1 blessed Lord ! how balefull was Thy state ! 
' When so great love was turn'd to so great hate 



THE PEEEECT-CrJBSED-BLESSED MAN. 103 

' How vain is it to feed on popular breath ! 

* Which causlessly is cause of life, of death. 

As here a man-destroyer these refus'd ; 85 

And to destroy this man-preserver chus'd. 

Thus basely humour' d they their soveraigns 

These kingly rebels, in their base designes : 

Assaulting often at their fittest seasons 

This King of Kings by stratagems and treasons. 90 

But yet He liv'd for all their vile intent, 

No lambe so meek, no dove so innocent. 

Who if H'ad pleas'd had pow'r His life t' enjoy : 

To destroy Death, yet it let Death destroy 

This graceless crew enrag'd with hellish 

spight, 95 

Sought daily thus to quench this Light of Light : 
And trait'rously attacht Him as a thiefe, 
Then led Him bound to be judg'd by their chief e : 
Who worthily judg'd Him unworthy dye, 
And yet to Death gave Him unworthily. 100 

That heady-headless rout then headlong ran 
'Gainst this clear innocent, condemned man : 
Pursuing Him to death with living hate ; 
Who being dead became Death's deadly bate, 
Por with their lingring torments though He 

dies, 105 

Within three dayes His God-head makes Him rise. 
t But tell me here, dear saints ! O God come tell 

me! 



104 THE PEHEECT-CUKSED-BLESSED MAN. 

— The various thought of these doth overwhelm 

me — 
' Whether their hate, His death, I shall deplore ? 
' Or else His love, and life in death, adore ? 110 
' Their deed, no doubt, all good men doe detest ; 
' Eut that of His who counts it not the best ? 
' To murther Him that gives life unto all ! 
* Let all that fact most exercisable call. 
Abash' t ther-at th' Earth, the sun, and moon: 115] 
For midnight-light was then day-light at noon. 
Eut when He rose, the sun came dauncing out, 
And graves did ope, and saints for joy 'gan shout. 

Thus while He liv'd, He lived but to dy, 
That by His death He endless life might buy 120 
For man : for His pure blood in sacrifice 
Once spent, was held of meritorious price. 
Eut long, alas ! long was my Lord a-suff'ring. 
Ere He could fully finish -up His off' ring. 
Their dev'lish malice was so odious 1 25 

They sought to make His torments tedious ; 
Ey slow degrees inflicting on Him pain 
To make it long ere they would have Him slain. 
Nor was His pain from them so tedious, 
As to Himselfe incomparably grievous. 1 3C 

His constitution pure, His unstain'd sense, 
More apt to feel the smart of each offence. 
His blessed body, though to cursed death 



THE PERFECT-CURSED -BLESSED MAN". 105 

He gave, to pacifie th' Almightie's wrath. 
For by His sufTring He did undertake 135 

To pay Man's debt of sin for Iustice' sake. 
Setting Himselfe a mark, wbereat e'vn all 
Might fling their darts of envy, spit their gall. 
The devils then stird-up those clev'lish men, 
Who spent their venom all upon Him then. 140 
Each rascall-Iew, whose fury yeelded might. 
How to torment Him made it his delight 
They stript Him nak'd, then cloathed Him in 

scorn 
And scorning crowned him with plats of thorn. 
His head, His face, His side, His hands, His 

feet, 145 

They beat, they wound, they pearc'd. And yet 

as meet 
To honour Him, they bow'd as to their King : 
Which to Him glory, to them shame did bring. 
For they like wretches glori'edin their shame : 
Not shaming once to make His death their 

game. 150 

To see the Lord of Life to Death thus bound, 
Those few that were His friends it did confound. 
One had forsworn Him : one had Him betraid. 
Not one, but all forsooke Him, all afraid. 
Nor thus alone, but which encreast His pain, 155 
The Deity now seemed to refrain 



106 THE PERFECT-CUESED -BLESSED MAN. 

To look-on Him with shows of chearfull grace, 
And in fierce wrath to turn-away the face. 
' Which doubtless was to Him more dolourous, 
! Than all that all could doe, notorious. 160 

And strictest Iustice all this spight maintain' d : 
That, was He less than infinitely pain'd ? 
All these thus heapt-on Him, oh did not they 
Make't known to ail He was a publick prey ? 
When carnall men, Him trait' rously convented? 165 
Ynjustly judg'd ? mockt ? whipt? to death tor- 
mented ? 
When friends forsook Him ? when by foes cast-down 
To all contempt ? when God did seem to frown ? 
T'endure all these ? oh ! 'twas a very Hell, 
Which tongue — which thought — cannot conceive 
totel. 170 

All these He felt, all these He overpast ; 
Into all these it was man's sin Him cast. 
They punisht Him for sin, Who no sin knew : 
And that to death, from Whom their life they 
drew. 
But though as man to death they led Him 
bound, 175 

As God, He did them ail in death confound : 
Making sin lose his strength, Death lose his sting ; 
Hell lose his triumph through Christ's suffering. 
First let He them prevail 'gainst Him at pleasure, 



THE PEHFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAX. 10? 

Till that by an immeasurable measure 180 

Of pain assign'd, He had clischarg'd the debt, 
That rigid Iustice for man's sin had set. 

Then did His God-head gloriously appear, 
And His tormenters inly shake for fear. 
For maugre them, He rid Himselfe from pain, 185 
Himselfe enliving 1 His dead body slain : 
Ennabling it to live, not as afore 
To dye ; but so live as to die no more. 
For champion-like after the victory, 
He did ascend to His own seat of glory. 190 

"Where He enthroned sits, wearing the crown 
Of all His Father's glory, all His own. 
1 Whose heavn'ly scepter swayes all earthly kings, 
' Whose Spirit to His church all comfort brings, 
' Whose goodness makes man's life a life of 
grace, 195 

* All evill to eschew, all good t' embrace. 
— For He had sent before with large commission 
Faithfull ambassadors to give remission 
Of all Man's past offences ; and to call 
Him by new grace to keep God's precepts all 200 
Which acceptable time of grace once ended, 
This conqu'ring glorious King completely 'tended 



1 = Enlivening, giving life to. G. 



108 THE PER FECT-CTTBSED -BLESSED MAN. 

With thousand-thousand angels arm'd with pow'r 

Will terribly descend, as in a show'r 

Of naming fire, to render vengeance due 205 

To that rebellious unbeleeving crew, 

That His milde precepts stubbornly refus'd ; 

And their own carnall mindes to follow chus'd. 

Nor will His comming be to these self e -foes 

More terrible, than joyfull unto those 210 

His friends, that in chearfull obedience 

In Faith, and Hope, and humble Patience, 

At that His glorious return expect 

To reap of all their labours the effect. 

For though they sinners were, their sins yet 

laid 215 

1 On Christ His Passion, the debt is paid. 
For sith 1 Christ dy'd for sin, and sin had none, 
Sin's debt was paid by that His death alone. 
Thus Christ b'ing free, for man's sin became 

bound : 
Thus sin-bound man through Christ was guiltles 

found. 220 

Thus was the Lord enthrall'd, at last enthron'd. 
Thus was the slave enlarg'd, and God atton'd. 2 



1 Since. G-. 

2 See additional Notes at close (m). G-. 



THE PEEFECT-CUESED-BLESSED MAX. 109 

"Which being done, man's enemies b'ing foil'd, 
The tort'rers torments 'gainst themselves recoil' d ? 
Disabling them his welfare to impeach, 225 

"When he for help, his faith to Christ doth reach : 
For ev'n for man, as for Himselfe Christ had 
Pow'r to resist, and overcome the bad, 
And base assaults of th' enemies of grace, 
That would from endless bliss sin's soul erace. 230 
Yea this puissant matchless Conquerour 
Not only did expell sin's venom, rancour ; 
Or satisfle for man's iniquitie ; 
Or re-invest Himselfe inmajestie : 
But also did man's nat'rall pow'rs controule, 235 
By breathing life of grace into his soule. 

His intellect He did illuminate 
With beams of Truth : all error dissipate, 
He his aftections all did sanctifie : 
And his crookt-perverse Will did rectifie. 240 

Eor howsoe're Man's will was first made free, 
As well to good as to iniquitie : 
But choosing ill, in ill confirm'd it stood — - 
Yet grace in Christ reclaimes it all to good. 
Yea grace converts his bodie's faculties 245 

To the right use of their abilities. 
His head, his feet, his tongue, his heart, his hand, 
Moved by grace, to good enclined stand. 
And all man's other parts, b'ing all declin'd, 



110 THE PERFECT-CURSED-BLESSED MAN. 

Grace doth reduce into their proper kinde, 250 
And though God's image in which Man was 
made, 
Ey sin's approach was totally decaid ; 
But he could then, nor doe, nor think aright, 
All was so faulty in his Maker's sight. 
Yet is't by grace in Christ so well refin'd, 255 
That God with man-renu'd, no fault will iinde. 
For man thereby is all so purifi'd, 
As that he can God's fiery triall bide. 

JN~atbJ.es though Christ redeem' d him perfectly. 
Yet what he doth, he doth imperfectly. 260 

For old corruption still sticks close unto him, 
And all's imperfect that is known come fro him. 
Which imperfections, Christ the Perfect heals, 
Affording perfect help under His seals 
Of those two saving Sacraments : for, by 26 5 

The first of them Christ biddeth him relie 
That all the leven of soule-slaying sin 
Wherewith he poison'd was, is purged clean. 
And he thenceforth by grace renued stands, 
Though weakly, yet to doe what God com- 
mands. 270 
In which, when he through humane frailty falls, 
Ey new-enspired grace his Saviour calls, 
Reclaiming him ; and bids him first abhor it, 
And bring forth fruits of due repentance for it : 



THE PERFEOT-CUKSEB-BLESSED MAN. 1 1 i 

Laying his hand, his constant hand of Faith 275 

On that obedience his Saviour hath 

To all God's lawes in full perfection wrought 

In's life, in's death, : beleeving He hath bought 

The full remission of each sev'rall sin, 

That he through want of grace offended in ; 280 

And so in humble confidence appeal 

Vnto the cov'nant of that other seal. 

Trusting that guilt of sins both old and new, 

With whatsoever can from these accrue, 

Are all abolish' t : if he strive to rise 285 

By grace, from sin, to holy exercise. 

And though in this his military 1 strife 
To please his God by holiness of life, 
Some bitter storms of miseries befall him ; 
Yet grace so calmeth them that none appall 
him. 290 

For he is taught to trust on his Protectour, 
Who sorrows how to bear, was his Directour. 

Is he from regall dignity depos'd ? 
Is he to basest povertie expos' d ? 
Is he to joyless banishment cast-out ? 295 

Is he with deadly foes beset-about ? 
Is he with foulest slanders vilifi'd ? 



1 = Militant, G. 



112 THE PERFECT- CURSED -BLESSED MAN. 

Is he for fairest qualities envi'd ? 

Is he with bodie's pain distempered? 

Is he with griefe of mind entortured ? 300 

Is he by faithless friends to danger set ? 

Is he in stead of joy with sorrow met ? 

Is he with shame to live or die, made thrall ? 

Is he with one of these ? Is he with all ? 

It matters not : his Saviour hath afore him 305 

Endur'd them all ; and in all doth restore him 

To this true light of grace : to know his state 

Is from God's certain love, though seeming hate. 

To give God hearty thanks when things work 

well, 
Or take with silent patience what comes ill. 310 
And then cross accidents him none can move, 
B'ing all substantiall tokens of God's love. 
' Eor though' t be true, great troubles on him 

chance, 
"Tis also true, God sends deliverance. 
And greater ones, nay none so great betide 

him, 320 

As did to Christ, when God it seem'd deny'd Him. 
— It seem'd so to seem : — so though to man 
Sometimes they seeme hopeless of help : yet can 
Th' Almightie God, the Father of all aid, 
No more forbear to help man so dismaid, 325 

Than dearest mother can her dearling-son ; 



THE PEKFECT-CUESED -BLESSED MAN. 113 

Who newly born, unholpen is undone. 

Fronts infant-cradle to his dying-bed, 

The man is still by God's grace succoured. 

And in his death, what waues soever toss him, 325 

Be't sense of pain, or pangs of fear that crosse 

him, 
Christ bids him fix his hopes in IPs wounded side, 
For He Death's killing instruments hath tri'd, 
And spoiFd them all. None then hath pow'r to 

sting 
His soule to death : they'r porters it to bring 330 
From-out Death's gastly dungeon to the hill 
Of heav'nly life : where heav'nly joyes it fill. 
Where Christ, th' Al-glorious King with glory 
crown* d, 
Crowns all His subjects that are loyall found, 
'With His own glory : making them all kings, 335 
Enjoying Him, in Him t' enjoy all things. 
Thus grace conducts man through the miseries 
Of life to death, to Heavn's felicities. 

Where no misfortune, cold, nor hunger dwels : 
Where no proud hope him with ambition 
swels : 340 

Where stormes of clowding cares none hang o're's 

head : 
Where pale-lookt Sickness nere sends him to bed : 
Where fearefull dreames affright him not asleep : 



114 THE PEKFECT-CTJRSED -BLESSED MAN. 

Where crasie old age on him cannot creed : 
"Where fatall vespers, 1 ill-portending stars : 345 
Where bloodless Fear, where noyse of bloody wars : 
Where none of these to vex him once are found : 
WTiere no false showes but true delights abound : 
Where alwaies is the absence of all evill : 
Where never comes nor Sin, nor Death, nor 

Devill. 350 

What e're is to be wishst, b'ing wisht is there : 

All knowledge, goodness, truth, content : and 

where 
Soe're he turns his eye, or eare, they light 
Ypon some welcome objects of delight. 
So what he hears, or sees : he sees it raise 355 
Ioy to himself e, and to his Maker praise. 
' Pray there he needs not : Pray'r complains of 

need. 
Need breedeth pain : and pain, complaint doth 

breed. 
6 Eut no complaint, no pain, no need, no pray'r, 
* Hosannas none : all Alleluiah's there. 360 

His body there's not subject to corruption : 



1 The historical Vespers, infamous to Popery, no doubt I 
intended. G. 



THE PEBFECT-CTJKSED -BLESSED MAN. 115 

His soule new cloath'd with flesh shines in per- 
fection : 
His soule and body both in one rejoyn'd, 
Finde fulness of all joyes in One conjoint. 
| Which fulness join'd to Him, Him nere ac- 
cloies : 365 

' And yet such fulness alwaies he enjoyes. 

His senses all on perfect objects feed : 
His faculties aright their actions speed. 
His appetites 1 are all acquieted : 
His parts, his pow'rs, are all engloried, 370 

His bliss is this, he's endlessly emploi'd, 
In blessing Him, Destruction hath destroy' d : 
And op'ned-wide Heav'ns narrow gate to those, 
That in Christ's death their hope of life repose. 
No other Heav'n, no other help he hath 375 

To 'scape the Hell of God's eternall wrath, 
But to beleeve : and by his life disclose 
That for him Christ did dye, and for him rose. 
In which beleefe he lives : and living, dies ; 
And dying, lives ; his life t'immortalize. 380 

And in this faith he's confident to plead, 
When he at God's tribunall shall hear read 
The bill of his indictment for h's offence ; 



1 = Desires, affections. G. 



116 THE PERFECT-CTTESRD-BLESftED MAN. 

1 Not guiltie, Lord : Thy dear Son's innocence, 
And His most perfect-perfect observation, 385 
Of all Thy lawes ; His upright conversation, 
His bitter-bitter Passion on the tree : 
these ! these have paid Sin's death for me ! 
' Tis true indeed, my sins Thy wrath provoked, 
Most dreadfull Iudge ; and I with guilt stood 
yoked, 390 

To feel the smart of horrid Death and Hell : 
But such sweet, gladsome newes Thy Truth doth 

tell, 
That in Thy Son, sith 1 Wrath and Mercy kist, 
Wrath hitting Him, in justice I am mist. 
Which double Iustice may be equall rang'd, 395 
'Cause sin for grace, and grace for sin we chang'd.' 

Thy Son, my Lord, was perfectly so pure, 
As had not I on Him my sins fixt sure, 
And clad my self e with His bright- shining 

grace, 
Not Him but me, Death had had pow'r V em- 
brace. 400 
Then stead of me, sith Wrath seaz'd on Thy Son, 
He thereby Death, I thereby Life have won. 
This is my rest : I rest upon my Lord : 
\ Lord let me live, according to Thy Word '! 

1 Since. G. 



THE PERFECT-CURSED -BLESSED MAX. 117 

The man in this strong confidence of his, 405 
In life, in death, no whit deceived is : 
For God on him in mercy doth bestow 
What He to him for His Christ's sake doth owe. 

First life of grace, with some false woes opprest : 
Next life of glorie, with all true joyes blest. 410 
Which woes are truly called false : for why ? 
They vanish straight like mist or cloudy sky : 
And then come-in — to make od reck'nings eav'n — 
Th' eternall, true, substantiall joyes of Heav'n. 

In th' interim whiles he is militant, 4 1 5 

In honest labours he is conversant : 
Vsing the things with sober moderation, 
That God affords him for his preservation. 
Abusing nothing, ord'ring all aright, 
As alwayes being in his Maker's sight. 420 

If God gives much, he thanks the Giver much ; 
Or if but little, yet his heart is such 
As he's content, for that his little serves 
To let him know 'tis none that he deserves. 
'Mongst whom he lives, he lives with warie 
eyes, 420 

That he nor envie rich, nor poore despise. 
And with his equals he just equall waighes ; 
Nor up, nor down, for fear or favour swaies. 
To all he's friendly, humble, charitable. 
lust, constant, chearfull, patient, peaceable. 430 



118 THE PEBFECT-CTJKSED-BLESSED MAN". 

And waits all turns, when with heart, hands and 

voice, 
He may or work or rest, sigh or rejoice. 
As turns and returns turn him many waies, 
So still he turns his heart to pray or praise 
The great All-turning God: "Who for man's 
good 43 £ 

Turn'd death to life : hard rocks into a flood 
i "Whose greatness is so good ! Goodness so great ! 
' As man's most worthy praise, when most com- 
plete 
' Is all-unworthy, the all- worthy fame 
' To blazon-out of God's most worthy name. 440 

Nathles to doe his best man stands resolv'd : 
But wishes daily that he were dissolv'd ; 
That so he might set-forth some perfect strains 
Of perfect glory 'mongst the glorious trains, 
That spend their nere-spent time in holy layes, 445 
Chanting- aloud their Alleluiahs. 
Till when 'mongst saints on Earth assembled 
thickly, 
He cries to Heav'n : come Lord Iesus quickly ! 
Lord Iesus, come ! the end of all I crave. 
I crave the end of all, my soule to save. 450 

To save my soule, Lord Iesus no time spend, 
Spend, though to 'gin that time, Time cannot end. 



THE PEEFECT-CT7ESED-BLESSED MAN. 



119 



On a fly-leaf is the following — to be read 
across and in column : 
As Man, aspiring, 

I stood, I fell, 

Most rich, most poore 
In state, through woe 



penitent 

I ris r ; 

most eminent 455 

to bliss. 




^bbitaal fiotzs. 



(a) Page 37, 'continent': This word is = that which 
contains, and it is found repeatedly in Shakespeare, e. g. 
"overborne their continents " : (Mids. Night Dream ii. 2.) 
"my continent of beauty": (Love's Labour Lost i. 1.) 
" the continent and summary " ; (Merchant of Venice iii. 
2.) "be stronger than thy continent" \ (Antony and 
Cleopatra iv. 2.) 

(b) Pages 37-38. ' then ' and ' than \ In the list of 
errata appended to Henry .Reynolds' (?) ' Mythomystes, 
wherein a short Survey is taken of the Nature and Value 
of true Poesy, and depth of the Ancients above our mod- 
erne Poets, &c. ' (1630 ?), there is a direction given always 
to substitute " throughout the booke " ' then ' for ' than ' 
whether used as an adverb or as a conjunction' ' — as in the 
first instance where the author says, " but disease of the 
Soules health is no other then meerely knowledge of the 
Truth of things. » (Collier's Bibl. Account ii. 555.) I 
must express here my regret that Mr. Collier's exceedingly 
full and laborious work, is robbed of more than half its 
value, by the empty and utterly inadequate Index. Being 
alphabetically arranged, the names are easily found in 
their places in the book : and yet the Index consists very 
much of the names only, and even these with many defi- 
ciences. There is wealth of incidental notice of many 






122 ADDITIONAL KOTES. 

names and things absolutely unrepresented in the Index. 
Above, and hundreds similar, will be sought for in vain 
therein. 

(c) Page 52, 'pretence*. So Shakespeare: "publisher 
of this pretence'. (Two Gentlemen of Verona, iii. 1.) "the 
undivulged pretence." (Macbeth ii. 3) and elsewhere. 

(d) Page 59, 'neat'. Cf. our Glossary to Sibbes' 
Works, s. v. It is found in Shakespeare, " such neat 
excellence." (Cymbelinei. 7.) 

(e) Page 60 ' foyson '=plenty. So Shakespeare, spelled 
'foison': "allfoison, all abundance.'* (Tempest ii. 1.) 
'• earth's increase, and fo ison, plenty, " and so elsewhere. 

(/) Page 62 ' capitulate'. So Shakespeare : " capitu- 
late against us " (I Henry IV. iii. 2.) 

(g) Page 67, 'this monster -cripple, devill-man.' The 
Earl of Manchester in his wise, quaint * al Mondo ' thus 
puts it : " Nature's perfection caught a fall when she was 
young, as Mephibosheth did, whereof she hath halted euer 
since." [1635, p. 13]. 

(A) Page 71, * weeds fertility '. See our Phineas Flet- 
cher ii. 119, 220-221 iii. 187-188. 

(i) Page 75, ' old poet\ My friend Mr. W. A. 
Wright of Cambridge, suggests Claudian : 

" Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum." 

(In Eutrop. i. 181.) 
This is a version, of course, of ' * Set a beggar on horse- 
back, &c." Cf. Proverbs xxx. 22 and Ecclesiastes, x. 7. 

(j ) Page 80, ' Justice and Meroy '. I take the liberty 
to ask the Eeader to consult our remarks on the (apparent) 
strife as between Justice and Mercy, in the representation 
of Joseph as of Giles Fletcher. Critics, — even one like Dr. 



ADDITIONAL NOTES. 1 23 

George Macdonald, — forget that, in view of the Sacrifice of 
the Lord Jesus, it is Justice and,/W£ as well as merciful, to 
save " whosoever " accepts the Saviour on His own blessed 
terms. It is a pity that evangelical writers should seem 
to put it that if Man were dealt with according to God's 
Justice nothing but destruction must still result. Not at 
all. It is through Justice that any and every sinner is 
saved. In the reference above, parallel passages will be 
found. See foot-note 1, page 81. 

(k) Page 86, ' headlong \ It will be noticed that in 
the author's errata (page 20) one belongs to this line — 
duly corrected, like the others, in our text. It is worth- 
while registering here that ' headlong ' as carrying the 
same thought, is a favourite with Milton, e.g. "hurl'd 
headlong" : (P.L. i. 45, and ii. 374.) " headlong sent*' 
(ib. i. 750.) " driven headlong " (ib. ii. 772) "headlong 
themselves they threw " (ib, vi, 864.) So also in P. R., 
iii. 430: iv. 475 • Comus 568, 887 and elsewhere. 

(I) Page 86, * kernell-sands ' . Kernell may be here 
used as = interior or inner : but more probably is a cor- 
ruption of crenelle, a battlement. This yields a pointed 
meaning, at any rate, in the place. I have not met with 
the word elsewhere. 

(m) Page 92, 'attone'. Later — as referred to in the 
place — this word is used to express reconCilation or making - 
at-one, not the least significant philological testimony to 
evangelical doctrine hereon. Thomas Heywood in his 
* Hierarchie of the blessed Angels ' (1635) uses the word 
similarly, as, " There's sympathie, attone, and cons'ance 
sweet " (p 12) and 

" Not many dayes before, the king had beene 
Invited, two great princes to attone ". (p 423). 



124 ADDITIONAL NOTES. 

On the thing, one ought never to miss an opportunity 
of repeating Shakespeare's grand statement : 

Isabella, Alas ! alas ! 

Why, all the souls that were, were forfeit once ; 

And He that might the vantage best have took, 

Found out the remedy. How would you be 

If He, which is the top of judgment, should 

But judge you as you are ? ! think on that ; 

And mercy then will breathe within your lips, 

Like man new made. (Measure for Measure, ii. 2.) G. 




Cjp&te's §Wj Stat 



The following is the original fcitle-page which is placed 
within a well-designed and as well-executed, wood-cut 
border ; 

CHKTSTES 

BLOODIE 

Sweat : 



THE SONNE OF 

GOD IN HIS 

AGONIE. 



London 

Printed by Ralph Blower, and 

are to be sold at his house 

vpon Lambert hill. 

1613. [4o.] 



Collation : title-page, Epistle-Dedicatory and to the 
Reader, 3 leaves, and pp 64. See our Memorial Introduc- 
tion for more on the title page &c. G. 



I. (EpiBtle DebkatorB* 



To the right honorable, William, Earle of Pem- 
brooke, &c. One of his Maiesties most Honorable 
prinie Counsaile, and Knight of the 'Noble Order 
of the Garter, &C. 1 



IGHT honorable, as your titles doe ennoble 
your vertues, so— in the iudgement of 
those that know you — your vertues doe 
as much more intitle your noblenesse : which 
two, in this age, doe so seldome meet in one, 




1 "William Herbert, third Earl of Pembroke, born 
1580, died 1630. " He was " say Anthony a- Wood, s. n. 
not only a great favourer of learned and ingenious men, 
" but was himself learned, and endowed to admiration with 
a poetical geny, as by those amorous and poetical aires 
and poems of his composition doth evidently appear" : to 
wit, in the Volume edited and published by Donne Jr. in 
1630." There is a portrait and some account of the Earl, 
in Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors, edition 1806, ii. 
249: consult also Collins's Peerage, edition 1812, iii. 
123. a, 



128 EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 

as most vsually to bee great, and to bee good, 
is required a double person. It is not so — and 
it is not so reported — in you ; being reputed 
therein to deserue the honours you possesse, for 
chiefly louing the desertfull. These assurances 
haue encouraged mee, to offer to your iudici- 
ous view, this little labour, which containes but 
a summarie of the Sonne of God's sorrowes : 
Wherein, let mee craue this fauour from your noble 
bountie, to measure, with the defect in writing, 
the sweetneese of what is written : the effect of 
that sweetnesse, and the benefit of that effect. 
And as for mee — my good lord — I shall take 
comfort in my paines, if you to whom they are 
addressed — beeing wonne hereto by the generall 
commendation of your merit — please to allow 
your patronage to one who offers what he offers 
in the perfect nakednesse of perfect simplicitie : 
Eesting a louer of your person, for your noble 
worthinesse 

I. F. 



ii. %a mth ns shall pmtse Mb 



OETRIE is so euery way made the 
herauld of wantonesse, as there is not 
now any thing too uncleane for lasciui- 
ous rime ; which among some — in whose hearts 
God hath wrought better things — hath bin the 
cause, why so generall an imputation is laid vpon 
this ancient and industrious arte. And I to 
cleere — as I might — verse, from the soyle of this 
vnworthinesse, haue herein— -at least— proued 
that it may deliuer good matter, with fit har- 
monie of words, though I haue erred in the latter. 
The way to doe well, is not so doubtfull, ^as not 
to be sought ; neither so darke, but it may bee 
found. I confesse, I haue, touching my perticu- 
lar, beene long carried with the doubts of folly, 
youth, and opinion, and as long miscaried in the 
darknesse of vnhappinesse, both in inuention and 
action. This was not the path that led to a 
contented rest, or a respected name. In regarde 
whereof, I haue heere set forth the witnesse that 



130 TO SUCH AS SHALL PERUSE THIS BOOK. 

may testifie what I desire to bee. Not that many 
should know it, but that many should take comfort 
by it. And — kind Eeader — this is my request, that 
faults in printing may be charitably corrected ;| 
that the sence of the matter may be wisely — and 
herein truely — construed, and so shall yee both! 
approue your owne iuclgements, and right the] 
Authour in his hopes. 

Farewell. 




Christ*'* Monb$ Stomi 




OWNE frome y e x throane of euerlasting 
grace, 
Where hosts 2 of angells guard eternall 
soules, 
The great Yice-gerent of His Father's 3 place, 
God's Sonne discendes, from far aboue the poles : 
And gently yet againe attempts to winne, 
The monarchy of hearts vsurp't by sinne. 

Deare ransome, where the payment is in bloud, 
Deare blond, where euery droppe out-values 

golde, 
Dear dropes, in whom lyes more the creature's 

good, 
Then selfe creation's treasure 4 can vnfolde : 



1 Printed with the e over the y . G. 

2 The apostrophe thus inserted, ' host's ' G. 

3 Misprinted i farher.' G. 

4 The meaning is = the treasure of creation itself. G. 



132 christe's bloodie sweate. 

Dear ransome, deerer bloud, [most deerest 
droppes, 
"Whose price is life, which life, death vnder- 
proppes. 

Death vnderpropp's that life which Frailty lost, 
All Frailty liuing in the death of one, 
Of One, all one with all, Who freely crost, 
The written booke of debt and^ Hell alone : 
As, 'tis a sad and lamentable story, 
To view the Passion of the LoH of Glory. 

A Lord of Glory, Prince of Heauen and Peace ; 
An Elder Brother of the sonnes of rest ; 
An Heyre of promise that with large encrease, 
A Kingdome and an Empire hath possest : 

Whereby those poore weake soules in earth cast 
downe, 

Like kings in Heauen shall all support a crowne. 

Such thoughts as those, whiles in a rauish't spirit 
Faire meditations summoned to appeare, 
Before the arke, and mercie-seat of merrit ; 
A sacred flame mixt with an holy feare, 

As if God's voyce had spoke, seem'd to inuite, 
My heart to prompt, my ready hand to write. 

Thou — quoth it — that hast spent thy best of dayes 



133 

In thriftlesse 1 rimes — sweet baytes to poyson 

youth — 
Led with the wanton hopes of laude and praise, 
Vaine shadowes of delight, seales of vntruth ; 
Now I impose new taskes vppon thy pen 
To shew My sorrowes to the eyes of men. 

Set then the tenour of thy dolefull song, 
To the deepe accentes of My bloudy sweate ! 2 
Sweete straines of musicke, sweetly mixt among, 
The discord of My paines ; the pleasure great, 
The comforts lasting, that the world hath got, 
By the delightful! sound, of His sad note. 

Here then vnclaspe the burthen of My woes, 
My woes distil' d into a streame of teares, 
My teares, begetting sighes, which sighes disclose 
A rocke of torment, which affliction beares : 

My griefes, teares, sighes, y e rocke, seas, windes, 

vnfain'd 
"Where shipwrackt soules, the land of safety 
gayn'd. 



1 Misprinted ' thirstlesse,' as noted by Mr. Collier : but 
it is just possible that thirstlesse is = sapless. G-. 

2 As in contemporaries, for the sign ! is here substituted 
?, and so throughout. G. 



134 chbiste's bloodie sweate. 

For whiles incompast in a fleshly frame 
A cloude of darke mortality I liu'd : 
I liu'd, the subiect both of scorne and shame, 
Banisht from mirth, of comfortes all depriu'd : 

Horrors with scandall, cares with cares did 
striue, 

And euer as I liu'd, I died aliue. 1 

Teares in Mine eyes, diuision in My heart, 
Disgrace vppon My name, plaintes in My breast, 
Thirst in My sufferance, hunger in My smart, 2 
Naked and cold, imprisoned and opprest ; 
Troubled within, tempted without, My head 
Yncertaine where to lead Me to my bed. 3 

Poore and forsaken, euery 4 day in daunger 
Of wrath and treason, lesser pris'd then dust, 
Of all abhor'd, euen to Mine own a stranger, 
"No man My friend, in any friend no trust : 
My miracles tearm'd diuilish, and My prayer 
Hipocrisie, My sorrowes held despayer. 5 

This entertaynment in the world I had, 
Tet for the world expos' d My selfe to all : 



1 Essay 63, 3. F. 2 Mat. 4, 2. G. 

3 Luke 9, 58. F. 4 Misprinted <euer.' G. 

5 Psalm 41, 9 : Mat. 12, 24. F. 



christe's bloodie sweate. 135 

All, more then this, though this be all to[o] sad ; 
But hereto did My Father's will Me call : 

Which most aboue the rest His [wrath] with 
paine, 1 

Did cleaue my soule, all woe-begon, in twaine. 

The charge of "Whose hot wrath so fearefull was, 
As against nature chang'd My sweate to bloud : 
Which trickling downe My cheekes vppon the 

grasse, 2 
Well tould the agony wherein I stood : 
An agony indeed whose trembling heate 
Powr'd out the wonder of a bloudy sweate. 

Which bloudy sweate, for that it is a theame, 
— The happie matter of a mouing stile — 
That now I challenge from thy sacred dreame, 
And meditations — in that dreame — the while, 
Thou vndertake to Register that part, 
And with My Spirit, I will guide thy heart 

Remember first the sorrowes thou hast past, 

The shame thou hast escap't : what thou hast felt, 



1 Sic : but there must be corrupt printing here. I have 
conjecturally filled in ' wrath.' G. 

2 Luke 22, 44. F. 



136 cheiste's bloodie sweate. 

How I have euer succour' d thee at last, 

How gently, with thee and thy sinnes, I dealt ; 

Thinke on the griefes haue made thy pride declineJ 

For by thine owne, thou mayst conceaue of Mine. 

For as the sunne exeeedes the smallest starre, 
In height of glory, in his gonlden spheres : 
Whiles as I was with men, a man so farre, 
And much more, did My horrors exceed theires : 
But thou begin, and where thy sacred fires 
Waxe dimme, My breath shall quicken thy 
desires. 

Thus then I soone obayd the heauenly voice, 
And wrot ; the weight of vengeance now increast J 
From God the Father on His Sonne, Whose choyc^ 
Would not from that iniunction be releast : 

But He must feele the curse and scourging rod, 
Of our and His— through vs — offended God. 

No sacrifice or incense could appease, 

Or reconcile the Maiestie aboue : 

No customary rites, nor tribute please, 

No law redeeme the breach of His deare loue : 
His most iust iustice, would no mercy giue, 
But God as man must die, that men may line. 

The holy and inuiolate decree, 

In His vnchaunging wisdome had appointed, 



137 

That the true way to happines should bee 
Found out in bloud, and bloud of His annointed : 
Whose pure vermilion red, did fairely guild, 
Sinns blacke as night, for whom this Lambe 
was kild. 1 

Meeke and vnfriended to the world He came, 2 
Lowly, sad, patient, in His humbled lookes. 3 
The Mirror of humility ; so tame, 
As if His forehead had bin Sorrowe's bookes : 
Thus whiles the lewes' hopes, with ambition 

wing'd, 
Flew through y earth their Saviour came, vn- 
king'd 4 

Vn-king'd good man, so far from any grace 
Of earthly maiestie, of crownes of State : 
As He was set much lower then the base, 
Beneath the sight of pittie or of hate : 
Yet this is that Messiah, He who brings 
Life in His death, makes men saints, saints as 
kings. 5 



1 Acts 2, 23 : John 1, 29. 26 : Eev. 5, 8,9, F. 

2 Zech. 9, 9. F. 3 Mat. 2. 5. F. 

4 Mat. 11, 29 : 12. 18, 19, 20. F. 

5 Mar[k] 6. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 : Luke 4. 22—31 : John 1. 
41. F. 



138 christe's bloodie sweats. 

"What eye did euer see Him laugh ? what eares, 
Haue heard Him speake the languages of pleasure ? 
But euery eye that saw Him saw His teares, 
All eares that heard Him, heard Him speake in 
measure : 
For still His wordes, with griefe such measure 

kept, 
His speech was sighes ; and as He spoke He 
wept. 1 

No hand did lend on[e] little cloth to drye 
The riuers on His cheekes f no thought bewail' d 
His solitary cares, but all past by 
Those vnrespected griefes, His heart assail' d ; 
Himself e He seem'd as if He meant to craue, 
But of Himself e, to beare Him to His graue. 

His precious head, crown' d with a goodly fleece, 
Of hayres more precious then are goulden threedes, 
Appeares but as an artist's maister peece, 
Scarce worth to view : 3 His lockes Him over-spreads, 
Vnfaim'd : as if they ought 4 that head no duety, 
So much His dayly woes had chaung'd His 
beauty. 

1 John 11. 33, 35, 38: Mar[k] 8. 12: Luke 19. 41, 
42. F. 

2 Lam. 1. 12. F. 3 Mat. 27. 29. F. 4 Owed. G 



christe's bloodie sweate. 139 

His face in which the rose did with the lilly, 
Striue curiously for chaunge in little space, 
Through many vntaught sighes, appear' d so silly, 
As 'twas but like the ruins of a face : l 
ISTeuer was man, so excellently nam'd, 
For shape, Whom sadnesse had so soone vnfram'd, 

And now the fulnesse of the time drew on, 2 
When He should pay the ransome of His death, 
To make oblation of His bloud alone, 
Offring the last gaspe of a guiltlesse breath : 
As if His onely arrant 3 from the wombe 
Were but to run a race vnto His tombe. 

When with the small remainder of His stocke, 4 
A remnant of the worlde's vn-numbred sons, 5 
A little remnant, a poore simple flocke, 
This pastour with those sheepe together runs 
To sequester them and Himselfe apart, 
That He might offer vpp to God His heart. 6 



1 Essay 53. 2. 

2 John 13. 1 : Gal. 4. 5 : Eph, 1. 10. F. 

3 Errand = work. G-. 

4 Mat. 26 37. F. 

5 Sons is, as before son's, and below, runs is run s. Gh 

6 Luk[e] 21. 37. F. 



140 

Not far from the Holy Cittie stoo, 
The mount of Oliuet, at whose steepe base 
Ceadron the riuer, with a gentle flood, 
Made musicke to the silence of that place : 
Neere which was Gethsemane, where to say, 
He often came and often vs'd to pray. 1 

Retyr'd from out the clamours of the day, 
Our Sauiour with His chosen, thither came : 
That with more leysure Hee might freely pray, 
Before the houre that must dissolve the frame 
Of His mortality : the curse and scourge, 
He was to beare, from sinners', sinne to purge. 2 

And feeling now th' approaching horrors neere, 
Of God's inkindled wrath, the time at hand 
Of coming vengeance, trembling in His feare, 
— Which being man, He knew not to commaund — 
His soule was heauy to the death, His heart, 
Through-wounded, ere He felt His woundes to 
smart. 3 

Burst with the burthen of tormenting anguish, 
Wasted with bitter throbbes, His hast'ning paine 

1 Mat. 21. 1 et 24. 3 : John 18. 1 : Mar[k] 14. 32. F. 

2 Luke 22. 4. F. 

3 John 8. 59: Mat. 26, 28. F. 



christe's bloodie sweats. 141 

Did make His manhood quake/ and sadly languish 
In agonyes so heauy to sustaine, 

As hut the Iewish malice was to[o] heady ; 

New deaths were needlesse, He was dead already. 

In terrors huried quicke, 2 He stroue to hast 
To the prepared sepulcher of shame : 
Dreading the iudgement heauen had ouerpast 
Yppon His humaine frailty, Hell to tame : 
His flesh and God-head stroue, hut He the while, 
Meeke in His suffraunce, did hoth weepe and 
smile. 

His Godhead sniil'd to see His man-hood, weepe, 
Rememhring what His Godhead had decreed : 
His man-hood did a sure, full, reckoning keepe, 
Of euery sorrow, that could sorrow hreed : 

And faine He would as man from death, he los'd ? 

"Which on Himself e as God, Himself e impos'd. 3 

Father He pray'd, 4 and lifted vp His eyes, 
— For in His eyes He had inthron'd His heart — 
Father ! ah that those terrors might suffize ! 
Ah that this deadly "banquet might depart ! 

In which without Thy wrath, I might not sup, 
The health of sicke soules, in a poys'ned cup. 

1 Essay 52. 4, 7. F. 2 Alive. G. 

3 John 10. 18. G, 4 Mat. 26. 39. F. 



142 christe's bloodie sweate. 

And if it may be possible ! l but oh ! 

Let not My prayers disanull Thy will ! 

If Thine eternall eounsaile order so, 

That I must Thy seuere decree fulfill ! 

Father, so it let bee ! though death hath wonne 
Gayne on My flesh, yet Thy, Thy will be 
done 2 . 

Heere sincking downe, for being sore opprest, 
With all the worlde's innumerable sinnes, 3 
Assaulted in that conflict, and distrest ; 
An angell comforts Him, and He begins 

To shake of [f ] those His feares in which He 
stood, 

Which from His passions drew a sweate of blood. 4 

Deere eye, what-soe're thou be that shall peruse 

The burthen of those lamentable lines ! 

An holy meditation may infuse, 

Amazement to thy soule by those faire signes : 
Heere stay thy wandring gaze, and faintly heare 
— Ere thou read more — thou may'st let fall a 
teare ! 

1 Mar[k] 14. 36. F. 

2 Luke 22. 42 : Phil. 2, 8. F. 

3 Hee. 2. 9. F. 

4 Luke 22. 43 : ibid verse 44. F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweate. H3 

And thinke it not a labour all vnmeete 
To spend a sigh on this vnhappy view ! 
"Wofull the subiect, but the gaine is sweete, 
By which all serue no more, but raigne a new : 

For euery teare of water thou canst shed ! 

The heart of Christ, a teare of bloud hath bled. 

He sweat not droppes of bloud for His owne cause, 
For Hee vnblemish't Lambe was innocent : 
Hee hath obai'd 1 no Grod, Hee broke no lawes, 
Hee harbourd no deceit, no falsehood meant ; 
He neuer wrong' d His freind by secret stealth, 
Nor by oppression sought to purchase wealth. 2 

His tongue for gaine was neuer heard to lye, 
Or tu'nd to sweare, or flatter, curse, or fawne; 
Lust could not traine His heart, or loue His eye : 
No wanton baites of pleasure could impawne 
His chast desire, to[o] forset 3 to delight 
The lawelesse issues of a banefull night. 

His meeknes thirsted not reuenge, His minde, 
"Was neuer set on wrath, no fruitlesse pride 
TrauaiFd new fashions curiously to finde ; 

1 Sie : query = obaisano'd ? G. 

2 Psal 18. 23 : 1 Pet. 2. 32 : Essay 53. 9. F. 

3 = fore-set or ordained. G. 



l44 cheiste's bloodie sweate. 

He onely car'd His naked wast to hide i 1 
He neuer sought to be reputed braue, 2 
So He had clothes, yet clothes could scarcely 
haue. 

He lou'd not sloath — vnprofitable rest — 

"Which eates, and feedes, and onely feedes and 
eates : 

Excesse of feeding, He hath not profest, 

To surfet in varietie of meates : 

His diet was not change, or choyse : His dish, 
Some-times a barly loafe, sometimes a fish. 3 

'No wines of mixtures, or new drinkes to drowne 
His soule He vs'd : He was, as Nature made Him 
A drinker, but no drunkard : to Yncrowne 
His innocence, no friendship should perswade Him : 
His voyce vn-fee'd, spoke to a Nation dull, 
And fed the sheepe, but would not share the 
wooll. 4 

He did not stop His eares against the cryes 
Of harmlesse suters, to doe iustice right : 

1 Luke 8. 2. 3. F. 

2 Adorned = grand, splendid. G. 

3 Mat. 14. 19. F. 

4 Iohn 4. 7 : Mat. 11. 19 : Luke 4. 21. Mar[k] 6. 6. G. 



cheiste's bloodie sweate. 145 

Hee enui'd not the great, nor did despise 
The broken-hearted poore, borne downe by might : 
But without doing euill, all to win, 
He lost His life ; and yet He knew no sin. 1 



He knew no sinne, then needed not to sweat, 
The liquid moysture of dissolued blood, 
For His owne faults, but ours : our faults so great 
As scant is one amongst a thousand good, 
And yet that one of thousands, if the letter 
Of life were surely scand, might bee much better. 

This was that Pellican indeed, retyr'd 
Into the desert of a troubled breast, 
Who for to pay the ransome long desir'd, 
Consumed Himselfe to giue His people rest : 
A Pellican indeed, that with her bloud, 
Pulls out her heart, to giue her chickens food. 

He like the phoenix burning in the sun, 
That from his ashes may spring vp a younger, 
Doth beate himselfe to death, and will not shun 
The fire, that weake men may in Him grow 
stronger : 
A perfect Phoenix, that most gladly dyes 
That many in His only death may rise. 2 

1 1 Iohn 3. 5 : Mat 8. 17. F. . 2 Heb. 9. 28. . F. 
I 



146 christe's bloodie sweate. 

In euery sex, and some of all degrees, 

He saw the mispent ryot of their talent : 

No sin escapt the eye of His decrees, 

But He beheld how apt men were to fall in't : 

For so is prone, mortalyty accurst, 

As still it striues to plot and woorke the woorst. 

This Man of men did in His troubled spirit 
Into a streame of soft compassion melt 
His icye bloud, that frailty might inherit 
The sun 1 of comfort, by the griefes He felt : 
Each drop of bloud He shed He shed it then, 
To wash a seuerall sin from seuerall men. 2 

Here saw He princes in the awfull throne, 
Of eminencie, how wantonly they stroue, 
Tor thirst of glory, to protect alone 
Beligion's name, not for religious loue : 3 

Graceing the gracelesse, in whom grace was lostj 
Such parasites as knew to natter most. 4 

1 Sic: and a contrast may be intended between the] 
1 icye bloud' and the (warmth of the) sun: but qu:j 
sum ? G-. 

2 Leui[ticus] 17. 11 : Heb. 19. 22. F. 

3 As hapned by Herod. F. 

4 Mat. 2. 8: Luke 3. 1 : Acts 12. 21, 22 : Iohn 18.1 



chkiste's bloodie sweate. 147 

For those He sweated bloud : that they whom 

Heauen, 
Created Gods 1 on earth, should so prophane 
By courses indirect and lawes vn-euen, 
Of will and sensual lust, 2 the law first drawne 
By that eternall royalty, Who stood 
To watch their faults : for kings He sweated 
bloud. 

Here saw He such who vnder those were plac't 
In seates of greatnesse and commaundes of State : 
How fond 3 in their madnesse they did wast 
Their greatnesse in ambition and debate : 
Ayming not to support, but scorne the good, 
By vniust force ; for such He sweated bloud. 4 

Here saw He how in Moses' chayre there raign'd 
Scribes cloath'd in wool of lambes, and speaking 

well, 
But wolues in nature, so corruptly stayn'd, 
As if they were but messengers of Hell : 

Abusing vnlearn'd soules, and Leuits 7 power, 
More ready then to cherrish, to deuoure. 8 

1 Psal. 82. 1, 6. F. 2 Reu. 17. 2. F. 

3 Foolish. G. 4 Luke 23. 12 : Acts 23. 4, 5. F. 

5 = Levites i. e. priestly power. G. 

6 Mat. 7. 15 : Mat. 23. 2 : Mat. 7, 3 ; John 8. 44 : Mat. 
23. 13: Mar[k] 12. 40. F. 



148 chkiste's eloodie sweate. 

Those whom the breath of God at first inspir'd 
To shine as lampes, and speake the heauenly sound, 
"With angells' tongues, were silent, if not hir'd. 
More studying with the Scriptures to compound. 
Their owne traditions ; and for those indeed, 
In heauy droppcs the sweat of Christ did bleed. 1 

Here saw He lawyers soberly engoun'd, 2 
"Wanting the robe of Iustice : not regarding 
The poore man's right, nor where the case was 

sound, 
But giuing Iudgment as he felt rewarding : s 
Whose tongue was bought, against that side 

was weake; 
Most times as well to hold his peace, as speake : 

For them He sweated bloud : and heere He saw, 
Intrus[t]ed iurisdiction ouer-sway'd 
By partiall favour, aboue forme of Law, 
Cold conscience, by which conscience was betray'd; 4 
For those condemning, were condemn' d so much 
As they condemn' d : 5 He sweated bloud for such, 

1 Mat. 5. 14: Eze. 22. 25 s Mat. 15. 9: Mar[k] 7. 7. R 

2 Luke 11. 46, 52. F. 

3 Luk[e] 18. 2, 3 : Prov. 29. 4. F. 

4 John 12. 43. F. 

5 Luke 6. 37 : Mat. 7. 1, 2. F. 



christe's bloodie sweate. 149 

Heere saw Hee souldiers toyling in the heat, 1 
Of cruelty, not measuring the right, 
Why they bore armes, but to content the great, 
And their owne lawlesse hate, prepar'd to fight ; 
For prey and spoyle, adventuring to rent 
Their Hues and soules : for those His bloud Hee 
spent. 

Heere saw He others that did keep the sword, 
Of office, and authority, in peace, 
Compacted in a knot, not to accord 
Or set at vnity strifes, but increase : 

Wounding or sparing with a watchfull hand, 
* As some superiour person should commaund. 2 

For them He sweated bloud; heere with much 

griefe 
He saw how schollers, train' d with strength of wit, 
Inricht with knowledge, and of men the chiefe, 
For knowing more then men, with staynes vnfit, 
Did boast their pride, which wisdome disallow' d, 
For being still both needy and yet proud. 3 



1 Luke 3. 14. F. 

2 As in Annas and Cayphas : John 18. 13, 14 : Pro. 
29. 2. F. 

3 Eccle. 10. 1, 2 : Mat. 11. 19 : Pro. 14. 6. F. 



150 cheiste's bloodie sweate. 

Schollers He saw, how foolishly they stroue, 
With tearmes of Art, and smooth beguiling rimes, 
To paynt the grosenes of vnlawfull loue, 
And proue the sinnes that did corrupt the times, 
Mayntayning vp-start sectes which all with-stood 
Truthe's precious light: for those He sweated 
bloud. 1 

Heere saw He some whose seruile basenes waited 
Vppon such vices as attend the great, 
Whom Hell with all it's nimble turning bay ted 
To vsher lusts, by many a subtill feat ; 

Those make good cloathes their god, and pay the 



Of lewdnes, with faire wordes and supple knees. 2 

For those did Iesus sweate in bloud : with those 
Heere saw He some, that were in nature skiFd, 
Searching the rules of Phisicke, to disclose, 
The treasure that the helpe of Art could yeeld ; 3 

How gold did prompt them, and the thirst of 
wealth, 

To hasten death, or to recouer health. 

1 James 3. 15 : Acts 19. 12 : Mic. 2. 1 : Gal. 5. 20 : 
1 Tim. 1. 4. F. 

2 As the Herodians: Mat. 22. 16: Luke 4. 25: Mat. 
11. 7. F. 

3 Mar[k] 15. 26. F. 



chbiste's bloodie sweate. 151 

Much mischiefe and abuse He saw in such, 
How they would cocker 1 lust, and stir vp heat, 
Of wanton bloud, concealing shame too much, 
With many sinnes too many to repeat ; 
For those and their iniquities, Christe's griefe, 
Did sweate in bloud, to giue their soules relief e. 

Heere saw He men, whose winged vessels brought 
From lands far off, the merchandize of profit ; 
How by their factors, all the world was sought, 
For precious wares such as made plenty of it : 
And yeelded to their greedy hopes such treasure, 
As they had heap't by subtill weight and 



Thus did they wast the poore, and purchase wealth 

By falshood in extremityes retyring 

As they pretend, for benefit of health, 

To their good garners : 3 greedily conspiring 

How they might starue ' the hungry, and still 

keepe 
Their gould : for those His bloudy sweate did 
weepe. 4 

1 Encourage, ckerish. G. 

2 Reu. 18. 23 : Hos. 12. 7, 8 : Mic. 6. 10, 11, 12. F. 

3 Cor. 6 8:1. Thes. 4. 6. F. 

4 Reue. 18, 3, 11. F. 



152 cheiste's bloodie sweate. 

Heere saw He others, curst with large possessions, j 
Hard landlords, raysing rentes, who still would ] 

grutch 1 

The bread of honest gayne, by sterne oppressions,! 

"Wrangling for earth, 2 till earth they had too j 

much ; 

For those the Lord, now being man was driuen, j 

To sweat in bloud : that those might be forgiuen.fl 

Heere saw He yet a woorser sort, prouoking, 
The wrath of God, who lining still in plenty, 
And cunning in arethmeticke, lay soaking 
The needy : gayning on the hundred, twenty : 
Ynconscionable vsurers, not contented 
"With ten to one, not one of ten repented. 4 

For them He sweated bloud : here saw He 

creatures 
In face as sweete as angels, dy'd in grayne, 
Of nature's art, fayre miracle of features, 

1 Grudge. G. 

2 Misprinted, earrh. G. 

3 Such as was Achat to Naboth : 1 Kin[gs] 21.2: PsaL.1 
83. 5: 1 Ioh[n] 9. 24: Eze[kiel] 18. 12, 13 et 22.; 
12, 13. F. 

4 Pro. 22. 23 : Rom. 2. 5 : 2 Pet. 3. 9 : lames 5. 3 : 
Gen, 6. 2 F. 



celriste's bloodie sweate. 153 

Wonder of beauty, Loue's delicious trayne, 
Adorn' d with, seeming graces that did shine 
So glorious, as they were esteem'd deuine. 

"Women they were, saintes to behold, in view 
Chast matrons, but — frailtye's curst — in triall 
More vaine then vanitie, and more vntrue. 
Then falshood : only, only cunning in deniall : 
In whose deniall vertue was so scant, 
As when they most 1 deni'd, they most will 
graunt. 2 

Wordes, wit, and fayrnesse, are 3 the smiling 

ginnes 
Wherewith they catch insnard men : whereto 

Heauen 
Bestow' d for blessings, are but bandes 4 to sinnes 
Abus'd; whom God made straight, those make 
euen : 
Of whom the most are worst, the fewer good, 
The good not free : 5 for all He sweated bloud. 

No sex was vncorrupt, but all in all, 
In euery fashion, and in each degree, 



1 Misprinted 'not ' G 2 Pro. 31. 10: 7. 10. F. 
3 Misprinted < or \ G. 4 Qu: bauds? G. 

5 Eccle 5. 7, 28 ; ibid 30. F. 



154 cheiste's bloodie sweate. 

Drew comfort from the sower-bitter gall. 
Of His afflictions, therein to set free 

Their 1 soules fromr bondage, and to coole that 
he ate 

Of iust damnation, in His blondy sweate 

The tide of killing sinnes was swollen high 
And could not be abated to an ebb, 
Before the blessed Son of God must dye, 
Vndoing by His death the painefull webb, 

The web of endlesse paynes that Sathan lay'd, 
In which the soules of sinners were betray'd. 2 

Euen as a man that treades a wearie pace, 
In laborinthes, continually in doubt 
To find the center of the curious trace, 
Once entred, still vncertaine to get out, 
Eefore some skillful maister by a twist, 3 
Doth guide him in or out, or as he list. 

Or as some Christian marchant by a Turke 
Surpris'd and chayn'd is made a gally-slaue, 



1 Misprinted 'that 5 . G. 2 Bom. 3. 23, 24. F. 

3 Query — a small branch or twig held in the hand, to 
point with ? We have the word in James Ist's (of Scot- 
land) "in the smalle greene twistis sat" (King's Qu- 
hair). G. 



cheiste's bloodie sweate. 155 

Whipt euery day, and forc't to toyle and worke, 
Consum'd with griefe, still lining in a grane, 
Yntill some one more strong, doth free his payne, 
And sets him in his wonted state agayne : 

So men that in a maze of deathfull errour 
Did tread the pathes of miseries and woe, 
Bound by that Tnrke, the denill, slau'd to that 

terror 
Of condemnation, labour'd to and fro j 1 

Till Christ by death did lead them ont of sinne, 
And freed them from the bondage they were in, 2 

The denill could not with his actine might 
Prenaile against the Lord, but he abates 
His policy and strength; and skil'd in fight, 
Conquers the sting of death, castdowne Hell gates, 
Triumphes on sinne, kept darke confusion vnder, 
Breaking the cursed Dragon's head a sunder. 3 

Captiuitie led captiue, doth vnmaske 

The hideous visor of his dismall smiles, 

And all the world shakes off the irkesome taske 



1 Tim. 2. 26 : Deu. 6. 21. F. 

2 Gal. 3. 26. F. 

3 Mat. 12. 28. 29 : Mar[k] 3. 27 : Hose[a] 13. 14 : Mat. 
16. 18 : 2 Cor. 15. 55, 56 : Gen. 3. 15. F. 



156 chkiste's bloodie sweate. 

It had sustayn'd, and sees 1 the deadly guiles, 
The sugred bane, the draught it had suck't vp 
Of spiced pleasures in a damned cup. 

A damned cup, a cup of God's fierce wrath, 
Of fornications, 2 of consuming wine, 
A cup, such as restoratiues none hath, 
But meere consumptions, no way to refine 
New bloud as cordialls, but to ouer-cloy 
The dyet of the soule, and soule destroy. 

All those had Christe's deere bloudy sweat layd 
open, 

— For euen His death was but a sweate in bloud — 

Onring to all in heart contrite and broken, 

The benefit of life and liuing foode : 

Not foode, not manna, that shall perish, waste, 
Or stincke, but bread that shall for euer last. 3 

For euer last ! who would spend his dayes, 

In transitory follyes of delight ! 

Such as passe soone away, and soone decayes, 

Vanish as soone as thought, forgotten quite ! 
When they beyond all tearme of time or date, 
Might raigne as kings, but in a happier state ! 



1 As before, printed ' see's '. G. 

2 Re a. 18. 3, F. 

3 Iohn 6. 31. 35. F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweate. 157 

This, did the leacher sleeping in the sheetes, 
Vhich reeke with Inst, bnt thinke on, he would 

weepe ; 
This, did the drnnkard reeling in the streetes 
— Then onely wise when hee doth onlie sleepe — 
Consider, he might sigh ; and not incline 
To vomit ont his sonle in streames of wine. 

This, did the miscreants — gallants cald !— who 

boldly 
Teare God's eternall name, with liberall oathes, 
Eemember, they wonld pray, and not so coldly 
Quench zeale, by warning pride in costly clothes : 
For zeale doth last, when clothes are worne and 

rotten, 
Men great, once seen in rags, are soone forgotten. 

This, did the gamsters, spending nightes and dayes 7 
In loosing what they gaine — such gaine is losse — 
For-cast, they would repent, and haue 1 such playes* 
Reputing mony — as it is — but drosse : 

They, whiles other[s] cheate, in hope of slime, . 

Ill-gotton thrift, doe cheate their selues of time. 

This, did the lou-sicke musieke- straining wanton, 
"Who leades his life in sonnetting some Ay-mees : 

1 Qu : hate ? G, 



158 cheiste's bloodie sweaee. 

Ponder, he'd cease, and then there would be scant 
one 

En-amourd on so many lisping shees : 

But changing better notes, they would take pittie j 
On their own soules, and sing a sweeter dittie. 

This, did the bloody-minded butcher mildly, 
Conceiue, he would not be so flesht 1 in strife, 
He would not ouer-giuen be so wildly, 
To stabbe, to fight, to scorn the weight 2 of life : 
Who seekes a name by murther, and doth prize 

it, 
Being termd a true braue spirit, hardly 3 buyes 
it. 

This, did the mockers of th' elect and holy, 
Whom God hath set on Earth to do His will, 
Regard, they could not be so curst in folly, 
As to perseuer 4 in their mischiefe still : 

Despising Preachers, and nicke naming those 
With malice, whom the Holy Ghost [hath] chose. 6 

1 Cf. Phineas Fletcher, Vol. I. cxliii ; ii. 229. G. 

2 Sic : qu : worth ? G. 

3 At enormous cost, and penalty. G. 

4 Cf. Phineas Fletcher, Vol. I. 37 ; iii 166, 223, 357. G. 

5 2 Kings, 2, 23 : Acts 2. 13 : Mat. 10, 22. F. 



CHRISTENS BLOODIE SWEATE. 159 

This, did the women of much shame and badnesse, 
Who prostitute their bodies to 1 ? disgrace. 
In penance, and a feeling tuch of sadnesse 
But looke into, they would not be so base, 
To gaine diseases ; but with hearts all rent, 
Eedeeme the vnchast houres they haue mispent. 2 

He that doth most addict himselfe to sin, 
Did he but bathe his thoughts, and once a day 
"Wash through his earnest meditations, in 
The bloody sweat of Christ, and truely pray 
To be made cleane, by sorrowes strongly vrged, 
Soone should he hate his faults, and soone be 
purged. 

Eut this to flesh and frailty is so strange, 

So hard to thinke, so difficult to doe, 

As tis almost impossible to change, 

From bad to good ; though Gred in mercy woe 3 
Mortality, to taste of mercie's treasure, 
Yet 0, tis hard to leaue the baites of pleasure. 

thou that dalliest in secure content ! 

And dost not feele the sinnes that ouer-presse thee I 

Thinke on His bloudie sweate, and straight repent, 



1 Misprinted 'do' G, 2 lohn 8, 11. F. 

3 Woo. Gr. 



160 CHRISTENS BLOODIE SWEATE. 

Before a heauier Iudgenient do distresse thee ! 
And then alas, in that vn-hopefull state, 
The time is past, thou wilt repent too late. 

Christ's bloody sweate, was that distilling riuer, 
The comfortable Iordan, whose faire streames, 
Did cleanse the Syrian Naaman, 1 and deliuer 
His bodie from the leprosie's extreames : 

"We all are Naamans leprous, but more foule, 
Till in His bloody sweate He purge our soule. 

Christ's bloody sweate that precious poole is, 
truely 

Bethesda cald, where he that was dis-easd 

For eight and thirty yeares, did wait most duly 

Te be put in, thereby to be releasd : 2 

We all are sicke, and languishingly houer, 
Till in His bloody sweat, we health recouer. 

Christ's bloody sweat, that Siloam is, where he 
Must striue to wash his eyes, who was borne 

blind ; 3 
In which pure lauer, he attained to see 
With eyes of body, and with eyes of mind : 
So must we wash, our blindnesse is so great, 
In the fresh fountaine of His bloody sweat 

1 2 Kin[gs] 5, 14. F. 2 Ioli[ii] 5, 2. F. 

3 Ioh[n] 9, 7. F. 



chbiste's bloodie sweat. 161 

These are the waters of eternall life, 
And he that drinkes them shall not thirst againe ;* 
Not springs of Meribath, or floods of strife, 
So moue contentions, or produce disdaine ; 2 
For such as tast this licour, shall possesse 
Sure peace of conscience, perfect happinesse. 

Both any loue to be in loue with beautie ? 
Come hither, in those drops he shall behold 
Water and blood, both in their proper dutie, 
So liuely as Art's selfe would haue extold : 
In curious figures, shadowing delight, 
Blood like to red, and water like to white. 

Doth any couet time-beguiling song ? 

Come hither, 3 heare is musicke in this sweate ; 

"Words sung to God, spoke with a zeale so strong, 

As that it doth His bloody sweate beget ; 
This must inchant the senses, and impart 
No solace to the eare, but to the heart. 4 

Doth any wish for costly fare or diet ? 
Come hither, banquet in His sacred passion. 



1 Esa. 12, 3 : Iohn 4, 14. 

2 Nu[mbers] 20, 13. . F. 

3 Misprinted ' hither.' G. 

4 Ephe[sians] 5. 19. F. 
I 



162 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Here's comfort for the soule, and perfect quiet ; 

Such food as Christ Himselfe had in like fashion, 1 
When talking with the woman at the well, 
He eat what no man but Himselfe could tell. 1 

Doth any hope for honour or promotion, 
Come hither, let him meditate on this, 
And with the sacrifice of true deuotion, 
Lift vp his voice to aske continuing blisse, 
And to him shal be giuen with increase, 
A crowne of glory, a firm throane of peace. 2 

.Doth any take content in strength and might, 
Come hither, from this bloud recouer trust, 
And Hee shall put the Diuel's force to flight, 
Rebate the dartes of Hell and iudge th' vniust : 3 

And beare the crosse, and conquer in like man- 
ner, 

Safe souldiers, fighting vnder Christ, His banner. 

It is an honour in the eyes of man, 
If when the king in person is in field, 
Some forward spirit desperately then 
Assault his foe, and force him for to yeeld ; 

1 Ioh[n] 4. 32. F. 

2 1 Pet. 5. 4: 2 Tim. 4. 8. F. 

3 Ioh[n] 2. 14: lam. 4.6, F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 163 

JFor which attempt, if such a one by right, 
Vnder the standard royall be made a knight. 

It is an honour, and to times succeeding, 
This banneret shall purchase lasting fame ; 
"What honour is it then if one lie bleeding, 
Vnder the wounds of Christ, and in His name, 
By Christian combat, leuell in the dust 
The world's aspiring sinnes, denoting 1 lust. 

He that doth ouercome himselfe and see, 
His guerdon by the holy written Word, 
Is a faire man at armes, more strong than hee, 
Who plowes vp kingdomes with his threatning 
sword ; 
For greater enemies incampe about, 
Man's owne weake heart, then any are without. 

Here lurkes adulteries, fornication, rapes, 
Murthers, false testimonies, slaunders, pride, 
Treason, backe-biting, euill thoughts escapes, 
Thefts, foolishnes, affections, fondly ei'de, 
Yncleanesse, couetousnesse, deceits and all 
Which brings the poore captiued soule in thrall. 2 



1 Printed l deuoting.' G. 

2 Mat. 15, 19 : Mar[k] 7. 21, 22. F, 



164 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Turne then thy weapons on thy selfe, man, 
And fight against those enemies within thee, 
Beat downe thy proper strenth, sincerely scan 
The horror of those foes that aime to win thee : 
Put plates of righteousnes vpon thy brest, 
And haue thy feet shod with the Gospel's rest. 1 

Gird on thy loines with veritie, and take 
Saluation's helmet to secure thy head, 
Bear vp the shield of faith, and hourely shake 
The Spirit's sword, and on thy watchfull bed 
Keepe centinell when all thy powers retreat, 
Then come and bath thee in His bloody sweat. 2 

For as the hart long hunted in the mountaines, 
Breathlease doth pant for life but all in vaine, 3 
Yntill reuived in the liuely fountaines, 
He doth recouer strength and breath againe : 
So we of breath, of life, are all depriu'd, 
Til in His bloody sweat we be reuiu'd. 

The curse on man from God when first he fell, 
From the free comforts of possessed grace, 
"Was danger of a second death, and Hell, 

1 Eph. 6. 14 : vers[e] 15. G. 

2 IbidYers. 14: vers. 17: vers. 16: Colos. 4. 2. F. 

3 Psa[lm] 42. 1. F. 



cbriste's bloodie sweat. 165 

Eating his bread with sweate vpon his face ; 

There all his sweate his sorrowes did decree him, 
This bloody sweat should from his sorrowes free 
him. 1 

Sweat was ordaind to get vs bread, which bread, 

Achab the king did to Michaiah giue, 

When to the prison causing to be led 

He did ordaine the prophet to relieue 
With bread, which shewd his cruell inrisdiction 
In giuing bread; but bread 'twas of affliction. 2 

In sweate we eate our bread, such bread as Dauid 
A man of God, and chosen to His heart, 
Cride out he had, when doubting to be saued 
He bore the weaknesse of the churche's smart : 3 
Bread 'twas indeed, so kneaded vp in feares, 
As well he witnest 'twas the bread of teares, 4 

In sweat we eate our bread, such bread so scant, 
As Esay promisd to the faithlesse lewes, 
Who being pierc't with famine steru'd with want, 
Sought stranger gods and did the knowne refuse. 



1 Gen. 3. 19. F. 2 1 Kin[gs] 22. 21. F. 

3 1 Sam. 13. 14. F. 4 Psa[lm] 80. 6. R 



166 CHEISTE's BLOOD IE SWEAT. 

Such bread is our bread, and be sweated so, 
Bread of aduersitie, and bread of woe. 1 

As then the sweat in getting of our bread, 
Did set before our eyes the curse we liue in, 
So may this bloody sweat abandon dread, 
In onely which, we know we are forgiuen : 

Then let vs in those sweates redeeme time past, 
Peeling the first, still haue in mind the last. 

And still as often as our mind presents vs 

The memory of our vnhappy fall, 

By sweating for that bread which discontents vs ; 

So often let vs call to mind withall 

This sweat of comfort that doth hourely bleed, 
Our wofull soules with bread of life to feed. 

Let not the pleasures of vncertaine tast, 
Eeguile our palates to deceiue our hearts : 
Let not the momentarie hopes that wast, 
Inuite to folly that too soone departs : 

But let vs looke on Christ, the way and dore, 
That all must tread as He hath gone before. 2 

Peeter and Andrew, lames and Iohn, whom first 
The Lord elected to be great on earth, 

1 Esa[y] 30. 20. F. 2 Ioh. 10. 7. 9. F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweat. 167 

From men with men in rancke of men the worst, 
The meanest in degree, of basest birth, 

When they were call'd 1 God's glory for to see, 
The only wordes He vs'd, were ' follow Mee.' 2 

Mathew surnamed Leny, who to raise 
His estate to wealth and hononr, sate and tooke 
Custome and tollage, 3 till his better dayes 
Approached ; when the time was he forsooke 
Yaine trust, and was God's glory eald to see, 
The only wordes Christ vs'd, were ' follow Mee.' 4 

The rich man that to iustifle himself e, 
By keeping whole the fire -condemning law, 
Hee that was sad to leane his worldly pelfe 
When the trew means 5 to righteonsnesse he saw ; 
To him, then cald God's glory for to see, 
The onely wordes He vs'd, were i follow Mee.' 6 

To him that would be iust, bnt first had rather 
To bid his guestes at home farewell; and he, 7 
Who chose to lay into his graue his father, 
Before he ment a JNazarite to be : 8 

1 Misprinted ' clad/ G. 2 Mat. 4. 19. F. 
3 = taxes. G. 4 Mar[k] 2. 14. F. 

5 Misprinted 'man.' G. 6 Mar[k] 10. 21. F. 
7 Luke 9. 61. F. 8 Mat. 8. 22. F. 



168 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

When they should come God's glory for to see, 
The only words He vs'd, were 'follow Mee.' 1 

Phillip when yet redemption was not knowne, 
To bee on Earth found such a sauing fauour, 
As that the Lord did chose him for His owne, 
By calling him vnto the precious sauour 

Of life, to life, God's glory for to see ; 

Yet all the wordes He vs'd were ' follow Me.' 2 

"Which < follow Me ' must not be vnderstood 
In fastes of miracle, or earthly pleasure, 
Nor striuing, as He did, in sweating blood, 
To know no sin, but to attaine the treasure 
Of neuer-fading ioyes, of true saluation, 
By holding worldly pompe in detestation. 5 

For he who follows Christ must not respect, 
Promotion, money, glory, ease, delight ; 
Put pouerty, reproof e, and selfe-neglect, 5 
Disgrace, teares, hunger, cold, thirst, scorne, de- 
spight ; 
Friends, father, mother, brethren, children, wife, 
Must be forgon, yea lands and goods and life. 5 



1 Ibid [v] 22. F. 2 John 1. 43. F. 

3 Io[hn] 2. 15, 16. F. 

4 Ro[mans] 13. 14. : Mat. 10. 37. F. 

5 Mat. 19. 29. F. 






christe's bloodie sweat. 169 

His crosse must be tooke vp, and as He was 
In meekenesse, sufferance, patience, and sobrietie, 
Such mnst we be, thus must we ouer-passe 
The wars of frayltie, lusts, sacietie ; 

We must lay downe our liues, and gaine the 
crowne 

Of life indeed, as life we do lay downe. 1 

Vnto the simple was the Lord reuealed, 
To men obscure, disdained, and vnlearned, 
His mercy from the mighty is concealed, 
He only of the poore will be discerned, 

That they who to the world are poore in show, 
Might teach the world, and greatnesse ouer- 
throw 2 . 

"When to the barre of iudgement we shall plead, 
And hold vp guiltie hands, and sue for grace, 
A booke shall be brought forth thereon to read 
A miseeeee mei, s but our case 

Wil be 4 so hard, our sins will so depraue vs, 

1 Luk[e] 9. 23 : 1 Pet. 2. 21, 22. F. 

2 Mat. 10. 39: 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28: Joh[n] 21. 3, 4: 
Mat. 5. 3. F. 

3 ' Have mercy on me/ G. 

4 Printed here and elsewhere ' wilbe ' : and so below 
'shalce.' Thus is it throughout with 'be.' Let this he 
understood, though not reproduced by us. Gr. 



170 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

As then our booke will come too late to sane 



For then onr booke, the booke that doth containe, 
The words of life, Christ's bloody sweat and 

passion, 
That booke will witnesse how we did disdaine, 
His lone, and drine vs to a desperation ; 

And then not euery one that cries Lord, Lord, 
Shal be receiu'd, for scorniug of His word. 2 

Then shall the Lord reply, for yon I sweated 
Sad drops of blood ,and yet yon would not loue Me 
For you in agonie, My heart was heated, 
My wounds did cry, yet would ye not approue Me 
I know ye not, ye cursed creatures goe, 
Where damned soules do feele eternall woe. 8 

Neuer may day giue comfort to your eyes, 4 
But over-cloud you in perpetuall night : 
Neuer hence forward may your hopes arise, 
For to behold My life-restoring sight : 

Let death and diuels torture you for euer, 
For you shal be released neuer, neuer. 

1 Psal. 51. 1. F. 2 Mat. 1. 2. F. 

3 Mat. 25. 4 : Psa[lm] 6. 8. F. 

4 Misprinted * cryes.' Gr. 






j 



christe's bloodie sweat. 171 

Here shall the wantons for a downy bed, 
Ee rackt on pallets of stil-bnrning steele : 
Here shall the glutton, that hath dayly fed, 
On choice of daintie diet, hourely feele 

"Worse meat then toads, and beyond time be 
drencht 

In flames of fire, that neuer shall be quencht. 

Each moment shall the killer, be tormented, 
With stabbes, 1 that shall not so procure his death : 
The drunkard that would neuer be contented, 
With drinking vp whole flagons at a breath, 
Shall be deni'd — as he with thiist is stung — 
A drop of water for to coole his tongue. 

The mony-hoording miser in his throat 

Shall swallow molten lead : the spruce perfum'd, 

Shall smell most loathsome brimstone : he who 

wrote, 
Soule-killing rimes, shall liuing be consum'd 
By such a gnawing worme, that neuer dies, 
And heare instead of musicke hellish cries. 2 

INo sin that is not washt in true repentance, 
Shall scape in euery sence to be perplexed : 



1 Misprinted < stables'. G. , 2 Mar[k] 9. 46. F. 



172 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

But euery sin and sinner shall haue sentence, 
To be without all end with horrors vexed, 
And that not for a day, a month, a score 
Of yeares, or terme, or time, but euermore. 1 

Por as the God whom such haue once offended 
Is infinite in maiestie and power : 
So shall their tortures be to them extended 
Most infinite, and cease 2 not to deuoure : 

And after thousand thousand yeares, their sin 
Is no more free then when it did begin. 

Loe here the view of soules condemned to Hell, 
Yet here is not the woorst of their indurance, 
Their greater torments are for that they fell, 
Trom euerlasting ioyes, and known assurance 
Of God's great glory ; which so long remaines : 
As date-lesse as are their all-scoming paines. 

Ynto the blessed shall He change His voyce, 
And with as much grim horror as He spoke, 
The curse of wrath : so sweet shall be the voyce, 
That with a gratious mildnesse shall prouoke, 
Laughter and comfort to the long distrest, 
When He shall call them to His quiet rest. 3 

1 Kom. 6. 23. F. 2 Misprinted ' ceast.' G. 

3 Luke 6. 21. F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweat. 173 

Come — will He say — ye blessed of My Father, 
Vnto the kingdome He hath chosen for you : 
Since in the time of frailtie ye had rather 
Then seme as worldlings, haue the world abhor 
you: 
You gron'd and sigh'd, and mortifi.de the flesh, 
Waiting till I your sorrowes do refresh. 1 

My bloody sweate won pitie in your eyes, 
And you poore soules did loue Me in My grief es, 
My base reproofe you no way did despise. 
Hungry, cold, naked, thirstie, your reliefes 
Did cheare My dying heart : for which regard 
Take life eternall, for your due reward. 

Here shall the martyrs slaine vpon the alter 
Of persecution, for His glorious sake ; 
By banishment, the sword, the axe, the halter, 
The water, racke, the whip, the fierie stake ; 
No longer crie, ' how long?' but rest in peace, 
And haue such pleasures as shall neuer cease. 2 

Here shall the meeke in spirit be exalted, 3 
The naked clothd, in perfect robes of white : 



1 Mat. 25. 34. F. 2 Ken. 6. 10. F. 

3 Ibid, [v] 11. F. 



174 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

The poore that felt no tast of sin, be salted 
With fauours of exceeding great delight : 

The hnngry fed, the sicke relieu'd, the chast 
"With honors that shall neuer fall, 1 be grac't. 

Those when the trumpet from the flaming skies, 
Shall sound a summons to the Day of doome, 
Heard shrill euen from the simple to the wise, 
Shall with the Lord of glory fairely eome, 
And stand as witnesses, then to prouoke, 
The Lord to iudgement, whiles the heauens 
smoke. 2 

Here Diues from the flames He suffers in, 
Lookes vp, and faintly, on the Lord's right hand, 
— Who comes to pay the wages of his sin — 
Beholds poore Lazarus in triumph stand ; 

And then his conscience prompts him, telling 
how, 

As he did once scorne him, he scorns him now. 3 

What boots complaints ? or whither can he run 
To hide him from that presence ? all in vaine 

I 

1 Sic : but evidently corrupt. Query — fail ? G. 

2 Mat. 24. 31 : 1 The[ssalonians] 4. 17 Psa[lm 50. 3: 
Ioel 2. 3, 4. F. 

3 Luk[e] 13. 23. F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 175 

He cals to mind the follyes he hath done, 
But cannot ransome backe his time againe ; 
Iustice pronounceth as it iustly fitted : 
* Sin shewd no pittie, sinne must not be pittied.' 

Vnto this audit and seuere accompt, 

How we haue liu'd ? what words we spoke, what 

praier, 
We made ? what thoughts we thought ? how wee 

surmount, 
In goodnesse ? how the poore we did repaire ? 
What can we answer ? but in meeke accord 
Confesse vs guiltie ; and cry mercy Lord ? 

A sparrow cannot fall vnto the ground 
Without the prouidence of God aboue r 1 
Our haires are numbred, 2 and we shall be found 
The heires of promise, as we hate or loue : 
The secrets of our hearts are not our owne, 
Our hearts and secrets then will both be knowne. 3 

Before the issue of which dolefull day, 
When no excuse will be admitted there, 
A time is giuen, and a tongue to pray ; 
who will then that precious time deferre ? 

3 Mat. 10. 29. F. 4 Ibid [v] 30. F. 

5 2 Cor. 4. 5. F. 



176 chkiste's bloodie sweat. 

But whiles the sufferance of our God is great, 1 
My to the safety of His bloody sweate. 

His bloody sweate, the comfortable matter, 

That must renew vs in the time of need, 

Both meat and drink : blood, meat ; and drink, the! 

water : 
The last to quicken, and the first to feed : 
Water the seale of Baptisme doth present, 
And blood His supper, each a sacrament. 1 

See here in earnest meditations, now, 
The mystery of all saluation ; 2 
How orderly God hath ordaind, and how 
He wisely wrought it from the first creation ; 
So good this gracious God is to defend vs, 
As He fore-thinks the means that must com- 
mend YS. 

When Christ prepar'd Himselfe to die, and beare 
The wrath of God that we in Him might liue : 
The time of His sowre passion drawing neare, 
In which He was His life for vs to giue, 
Retird alone, His Father to intreat, 
His agonies brought forth a bloody sweat. 

1 Eph. 5. 26 : Iohn 6. 55. F. 

2 Eph. 1. 9, 13. F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweat. 177 

So when vpon the crosse He had indur'd 
The bitter pangs of Hell, and breathd His 1 last, 
Confounding Death that had Bis death procur'd ; 
When all the tide of cruell griefes was past, 
A sonldier with a spear e did pierce His side, 
"When blood with water gushing was espide. 2 

Water and blood what conld it [then] intend, 

Or wher-nnto so likened conld it be, 

But to the bloody sweat His soule did send 

Before His death, opprest in agonie ? 

That as the first before His death diminisht 
Death of the soule this in His death that finisht. 3 

He di'd indeed not as an actor dies 
To die to day, and Hue again to morrow, 
In shew to please the audience, or disguise 
The idle habit of inforced sorrow : 

The crosse His stage was, and He plaid the part 
Of one that for his friend did pawne his heart. 

His heart He pawn'd, and yet not for His friend, 
For who was friend to Him, or who did loue Him ? 
But to His deadly foe ; He did extend 

1 Misprinted * the '. Gr. 2 Ioh[n] 19. 34. F. 

3 I suspect corruption by misprint here : but place a 
comma after soule, and a meaning results. Gr. 
J 



i 



178 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

His dearest blood to them that did reproue Him, 
For such as tooke His life from Him, He gaue 
Such life, as by His life they could not haue. 1 

Great miracle of loue, Redemption's wonder, 
When He that should be su'd to, sues to those 
Who would not sue to Him, but still kept vnder 
That better part which He in mercy chose : 
Eare president of value, which discouers 
How loue is scant, where plenty is of louers. 

If we but look into the little home, 
The home of our own selues, we may espie 
How many pyrates still make haste to come 
To wrecke our soules, whom whiles we do dene 
We entertaine, and freely, but vnsought, 
Make marchandize of what we neuer bought. 

The pearle and the treasures which the Lord 
Did witnesse, were of an vnualued price : 
Iesus did purchase of His owne accord, 
To free vs from our death deseruing vice, 
And left vs for an heritage, the gaine 
Of life, immortall euer to remaine. 2 



1 Colos, i. 21. F. 2 Mat. 13. 44—46. F. 



christe's bloodie sweat. 179 

Hel's gaping wombe which euery minute sunke 
Millions of soules, and would not be content 
With streams of blood, which greedily it drunke , 
But still cryde more, 1 His mercy did preuent ; 
For He shut vp the iawes, and did acquit 2 
The rau'nous gorge of that deuouring pit. 

The euer empty swallow of the graue 
And bottomlesse confusion of the deepe, 
His blood hath made in vaine, and this doth saue 
From dangers, such as dangers dayly keepe. 
Death's sting it hath rebated, and vn-edg'd 
Such soules as were in sorrowe's bondage 
pledged. 

What should a sinner doe ? or whither Hie 
To hide him from his shame that euer wakes ? 
Poore man, lesse than a man who cannot die, 
Nor cannot Hue, so much his Care mistakes ; 
And still he drawes destruction with his breath, 
As 'tis all one to suffer life or death. 

Sad thoughts like burning furies still pursue him, 
And seeke his life, who them aliue doth cherrish ; 



1 Pro [verbs) 27. 20. F. 

2 = acquiet ? or qu: = free men from ? G. 



180 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Pond thoughts whose inward eyes no sooner view 1 
him 

But kill their 1 maister, who once dead, they perish : 
His thoughts do tell his conscience of his thrall, I 
His conscience makes him thinke that he mustfall.. 

"What, shall he crie to mountaines to conceale him ? 

Or shall he beg, the seas to ouer-drench him ? 

The mountaines are remou'd and cannot heall 2 hi J 

The seas are dry, and they cannot entrench him ; 
But euer as he hopes the light to shun, 
In groping for the night he findes the sunne. 8 

A Son Whose glory doth disclose abroade 
The secrets of his hearte, 4 and layes all open, 
Lines out the sundry paths that he hath trode, 
Vnfolds the seuerall treasons he hath spoken : 
The inside of his bosome is apparant, 
And he hath none excuse to pleade his warrant. 5 

"What can he now resolue, but to retire 
Ynto the sweat of Christ, and cleft in mind, 

1 Misprinted ' that ' . G. 

2 Query = cover : derived from ' hull ' a (hollow) 
covering ? It can't be i heal ' = cure. G. 

3 Luk[e] 23. 30 : Psa[lm] 139. 9 : Keu. 6. 14. F. 

4 Misprinted 'hears. 5 G. 

5 Ioh[n] 3. 20. F. 



CHRISTENS BLOODIE SWEAT. 181 

Humbled in meeke astonishment, desire 
Comfort in this His bloody Bath to find : 

Which [bloody] sweat, when enery helpe doth 
faile 

To cure the soule, that onely doth auaile. 

Pure distillations are but vaine receits, 
Curious to draine, but comfortlesse in tast ; 
Compound cordials are vnwise deceits 
Whose virtue doth but with the present last : 
Christ's body is the limbecke that must yeeld 
Distilled blood, our soules from death to shield. 

If pleasures, honors, money, gifts, promotion, 

Phisicke, restoratiues, repasted 1 diet, 

Ease, cost, delights, cold, heate, prophane deuotion, 

Drinkes, purges, obseruation, courtly quiet, 
Or one, or all, the soule' s spots could expell, 
Great kings had neuer ran so fast to Hell. 

The princes of the Sodomites, the chiefes 
Of Aegypt, Achab, Eserod, and the rest, 
Had neuer felt the terrours of their griefes, 
If art could haue a remedy exprest ; 

But therefore di'd they, cause they knew no good, 
To purge them in the stream of Christ, His 
blood. 

1 Festive, G. 



182 chkiste's bloodie sweat. 

The womane, 1 painting Iesabel, the waore 
Of th' Israelitish monarch, conld not hide 
Her sins from God, bnt as her selfe was poore 
In virtue, so she dy'd in naked pride : 

had she seene Christ's bloody sweat contriu'di 
In his Eliab's grief e, she might haue liu'd. 2 

But they whom worldly pleasures wrap in woe, . 
Esteemd this sweat a fancie or a fable ; 
"Which one day they will find was nothing so, 
"When to recall againe they are not able ; 

And then this blood which hath procurd a j 
crowne 

Shal be a flood, not to refresh but drowne. 

What is a man but dust made up in forme ? 3 
Eraile, weake, corrupted : keeping sinne in motioM 
A ship at sea, ore-turn' d with euery storme : 
Eates, sleepes, and dies, vnsetled in deuotion : 
In health vnbridled, in his yeares a span, 
A fading bloome ; and such a thing is man. 4 

Man's beautie but a frame made vp in snow, 
Inmixt with waxe, which melts with euery sun I 

1 Misprinted ' womans '. G. 

2 2 Kin[gs] 9. 30 : 1 Kin[gs] 19. 4, 5. F. 

3 Gen. 3. 19. F. 

4 1 Pet. 1.24. F. 



CHRISTENS BLOODIE SWEAT. 183 

Euen so experience teacheth men to know, 
How soon this worke of frailtie is vndone : 
A "Winter 1 s frost, or Summer's parching heate, 
Doth soone this 'picture's ornament defeate, 

Yet as a cunning fire-worke lighted glowes, 
Spits and with hissing wonders dares the skies, 
Till being wasted, downe it fal, and showes 
!No more ; his matter spent it weakely dies, 
And vanisheth to aire and smoke; so men 
In health are strong, but dying vanish then. 

Man as a cunning fire-worke in his power, 
Dares God and heauen, and kicks against the 

Lord, 1 
Till all his force be spent, then in an hower, 
Abates, decaies, fals of his owne accord : 
Being indeed as nothing, in despaire 
Of doing ill, fumes into smoke and aire. 

But here is not the end of all his ils, 
His greater soule's vexation is behind, 
A death which both the soule and body kils, 
To which the miserable are confind : 



1 Psal. 12. 4. F. 



184 christe's bloodie sweat. 

And then to[o] late they wish to coole the heate 
Of flames and brimstone, in Christ's bloody 
sweate. 1 

If one condemnd for some notorious fact, 
Labour his pardon, and doth surely thinke 
His life is safe : forgets his former act, 
Doth reuell, sweare, prophane, carouse, and drinke ; 
Whiles thus his iolly time he doth apply, 
One sayes that he within an hower must die. 

How cold that newes strikes to his heart ! his 

cheeks 
How soon they change their merriment ! and he 
With what submission pensiue, humbly seekes 
For grace to alter that vnhop't decree ? 

How would he promise, beg, protest, 2 or giue 
All that he had, or could procure to Hue, 

Such is the case, who till the day draw neare, 
Wherein we must surrender vp the right 
We hold of liuing : do our soules appeare 
Slaues to disorder, seruants to delight : 
But when we are arrested to depart, 
Then we can feel the dolours of our heart. 



1 Eeu. 14. 18. F. 2 Misprinted ' protect/ F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweat. 185 

i 

Yet Christ is not regarded, who stood vp 
And in the last day of the feast cride out, 
Ho ! come to Me, all ye who thirst, and sup 
Eiuers of life, drinke freely round about : 
And if there come a scarcitie of food, 
My flesh shal be your bread, your drinke My 
blood. 

Dull eares who will not glisten to this call ! 
Dull eyes who will not see this fount of ease ! 
Dull heart that will not shun temptation's gall ! 
Dull soule that will not seeke this God to please ! 
Dul eares, dul eyes, dul heart, dul soule, whose 

strife, 
Nor heares, nor sees, nor thinks, nor seeks for 
life. 

Life may be freed from euerlasting wrath, 
Which is prepared for those which will not liue, 
If they but aime to bathe them in the bath 
Of Christ His blood, which He doth frankly giue 
To cleanse and wash away each leprous spot, 
That vse of sinne doth feed, as sinne begot. 

Besieged man-kind when the foe assaults, 
Of number-lesse temptations, shrikes or feares, 
Mew'd vp in care, and yeeldeth to the faults, 
Whom as a weighty burden still he beares : 



186 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

And ere lie loose the honour of the field, 

Doth like a turne-coate, to his weaknesse yeeld. I 

Where now is faith ? where is that courage now 
Which proud mortalitie presumes it hath ? 
Base seruile frailtie doth despairing how 
To weare the fetters of consuming wrath ; 
So cowards hoast in time of peace, but flie 
When warres increase, and vnremembred die. 

Others there are, who smooth the front of sin, 
And maske his vgly fore-head with the coulour 
Of lust ingendered nouelties ; to win 
Grace to their arts, by making art seeme fuller : 
And they their foolish wits with pride to prou e 1 
Will striue forsooth to make a God of Loue. 

They are the diuel's secretaries right, 

Whose rules haue drawne whole troopes of soules | 

to Hell 
That might haue else bene sau'd; they day and 1 

night 
Toyle out their braines, that mischiefe might J 

excell ; 
They feele the whips whiles as they kisse the 

rod. 
By making lust the diuell, and the god. 



ckriste's bloodie sweat. 187 

Lone is no god, as some of wicked times 
Led with the dreaming dotage of their folly — 
Hane set him foorth in their lascinions rimes, 
Bewitch'd with errors, and conceits vnholy : 
It is a raging blood, affection's blind, 
Which boiles both in the body and the mind. 

But snch whose lawfull thonghts, and honest heat. 
Doth temperately mone with chaste desires, 
To choose an equall partner, and beget 
Like comforts by a like inkindled fires : 
Snch find no donbt in vnion made so enen, 
Sweet frnit of snccors, and on earth a heanen. 

Snch find the pastures of their sonles and hearts, 

Befreshed by the soft distilling dew, 

Of Christ's deare bloody sweate, which still im- 
parts 

Plenty of life and ioyes so snrely trew, 

As like a barren ground they drinke the pleasure, 
Of that inestimable showre of treasure. 

If euery word we write, and speake, or thought 
We thinke, or deeds we do, or hower we spend, 
Shall one day to a strict account be brought, 



1 Iopm] 31. 38.: 6. 5, 54. F. 



188 chkiste's bloodie sweat. 

When shall be made a whole and finall end ; l 
Then all in vaine we shall condemne 2 that wit, 
"Which hath in sinne, or thought, or spoke, or 
writ. 3 

Those angels who as porters guard the gate, 
Of God's eternall kingdome, will controule, 
All entrance there, and curiously debate 
Questions of quarrel with the trembling souie ; 
And like some churlish officer at court, 
Keepe backe the presse of all the worser sort. 

Here now the soule is baffaild whiles they chide, 
What are ye ? soules opprest : but whither presse 

ye? 
Into the court of God here to abide. 
What sicke ? yes sicke : whom seeke ye to dresse 
ye? 
Christ our physition : who hath sent ye to Him? 
Our faith : what faith ? such faith as corns to wo 
Him. 4 

Woe Him for what ? for life : where are your 

seales, 
Of pietie and truth ? lost, lost : fooles 

1 Matt. 12. 36. F. 2 Misprinted ' condemnd ' a. 

3 Act[s] 8. 22. F. 4 Mar[k] 2. 17. F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweat. 189 

Get hence ? our wounded eare 1 appeales, 
To mercy, promised in the sacred sehooles : 2 
To Iustice ? no, mercy we betake 3 vs : 
Iustice condemns you ? yet will mercy saue vs. 

Haue you then bathd your sins ? in what : in 

sweat ? 
What sweat ? His bloody sweat : we haue not 

known it : 
Ah haue you not ? no : then you are to[o] great 
In sin's sins ! sins ! 4 and those haue ouer throwne 
it: 
Hence soules away, ye are too late deluded ; 
Thus are the wicked soules from heauen excluded. 

Thus are the wicked soules from heauen excluded, 
And torturd in the horror of their feares, 
Heauen' s gate is shut, where they would haue 

intruded ; 
And al because they were too slacke in teares ; 
"Which are the ready tokens Christ hath lent, 
His bloody sweate on earth to represent. 



1 Misprinted (?) 'care' G. 2 Mat. 22. 11. F. 

3 Misprinted ' behaue,' G. 

4 Printed ' In sins, sins ? sins, and &c. Should the 
second read sums ? G. 



190 christe's bloodie sweat. 

Neuer was teare from any heart let fall, 
In true repentance, but the Lord of grace, 
Hath seene and botled vp, and kept it all. 
For such as must His sauing health embrace : x 
This is a rule in text for certaine giuen, 
An eye still drie doth seldome come to heauen. 

He who can gush out teares as 'twere a flood, 
Of christall sorrows, and a zeale vnfained, 
Doth purge his faults in Christ, His sweat of blood, 
And with his faults shal neuer more be stained ; 
Stars in their brightness shal not shine so glorious 
Nor all the kings on earth be so victorious. 

'Tis not enough to reade the Bible ouer, 
Here to fold downe a leafe, and there to quote it, 
Now to behold the Lord in blood, then houer 
And range : but freely in thy heart to note it : 
For where the Word doth tel vs Christ did bleed, 
And sweat, there must our thoghts both drink 
and feed. 

Tid but a king before a publicke view, 
Imbraee and kisse his subiect, how would Fame 
Speed such a fauour, how would people sue, 



1 Mat. 5. 4. F. 



CHEISTE 7 S BLOODIE SWEAT. 191 

To grace their seruice by his onely name : 

So here doth Christ a much more griefe impart, 
And cryes to all, 'My sonne, giue Me thy heart.' 1 

* My sonne giue Me thy heart/ and in exchange 
Take Mine, I both will kisse thee and embrace 

the 3 : 2 
What heauenly words are in this voyce ! strange ! 
See sinner how the God of loue doth grace thee, 
'My sonne, giue Me thy heart/ but giue Me 

thine, 
And I will sweat in blood to pawne thee Mine. 

God knocks, then let vs open : let not Hell 
Earre out the King of Mercie : He intreates, 
Let not the diuell disswade : God comes to dwell, 
With men, let men Him entertaine : He sweates, 
For ys, let vs for Him like dutie keepe : 
He sweated blood, let ys in sorrow weepe. 

A man that Hues in pleasures, as his dayes 
Increase, the dayes past ouer seeme a dreame ; 
Stil newer ioy, more hope of ioy bewrayes, 
And as he Hues, he Hues still in extreame : 



1 Prov. 22. 23, 26. F. 2 Canti[cles] 1. 1, F, 



192 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

He wakes to sleepe, and sleeps in hope to wake ; 
So here is all the pleasure he can take. 

Is this a life ? what a life is this ! 
To conet age, which heing come is hated : 
Whose end is death, which death the vtmost is 
Of eu'ry lease that in the grane is dated : 

They that enioy what their owne hearts can 

crane, 
Crane onely time, which hrings them to the 
grane. 

And here they die, and dying once die all, 

Die al as they vnworthily hane liu'd ; 

JNo part of them snrnines, bnt feeles the thral 

Of life in death, and death of life depriu'd : 
Thus then the promise of al the world's desire, 
Beares life to die, then dies in life to tire. 

Weary vnrest, and restlesse wearie woe, 
That leads to pleasures in their bright abortiue : 
How much more better were it to forgoe 
A life so grieuous, and a death so sportiue ! 
And rest the griefes so numberlesse and great, 
In the sweet slumber of His bloody sweat ! 

When Pharaoh's heart was hardned, and deny'd 
Freedome to Israel, the Lord to scourge 



christe's bloqdie sweat. 193 

Pharaoh's ambition and detested pride, 
Which Mercy could not win, nor Mildnesse vrge : 
Commanded Aaron, when he touch' t the flood, 
Th' Aegyptian waters all were turnd to blood. 

Water was turnd to blood, but in this sweat, 
Here blood is turnd to water : as the first 
Betoken' d plagues for sins, the last doth treat 
Redemption from those sins, which 1 were accurst : 

The first His wrath, the last doth shew His 
loue, 

His iustice this did, that His mercy proue. 

By blood offences in the written law, 
Ynto the law of grace were reconciled ; 
By blood offences must redemption draw, 
From blood ; which blood the Gospel now is 
stiled: 2 

The Law, the blood of goats and buls, desired ; 

The Gospel hath the blood of Christ required. 

A surety for his friend that is arrested, 
Kept close in prison, bound in yron chaines, 
Is hungry, cold, and weary, sicke and wrested 
To change of inward griefes, and outward paines : 



1 Misprinted 'who'. G. 2 Heb. 9. 13, 18 F. 



194 christe's bloodie sweat. 

Deserues from him for whom he [is]asseast,* 
If not a full reward, yet thanks at least. 

So he, who in the absence of his friend, 
"Whom malice hath vpbraided with abuse, 
Doth vndertake his quarrell to defend, 
Clearing the imputation with excuse, ; 

Tights and is wounded, being wounded dyes ; 

May iustly claime the tribute of his eyes. 

lesus, the sonne of God was at our sute 
Arested, and imprison'd in the frame 
Of flesh ; 2 was fetter'd and of no repute, 
Tyr'd with His griefes, the by- word of defame, 
All this He was, and did, yet to relieue Him, 
"Wee scarce can in our hearts finde thankes to 
giue Him. 

Hee vndertooke our quarrell with the deuill, 
"When wee were all vnable to resist, 
And in that quarrell to discharge our euill, 
Was wounded to the death ; yet wee persist 
Too obstinate in malice, and forbeare 
Ypon His bleeding wounds to shed one teare ; 3 

1 Asseast is, = arrested. G. 

2 Ioh[n] 1. 14. F. 

3 Eeu. 12. 7, 8 : Luk[e] 1. 71. F. 



CHRISTE'S blooeie sweat. 195 

Wee see vpon His sorrow -drowned 1 face 

The print of Sorrowe's stampe, yet not regard 

Hirn ; 
Wee see His honour leuel'd with disgrace, 
Yet with our only thankes will not reward Him : 
'Tis bad to sin; sin 'tis to be ^ngratefull, 
Sin is abhorr'd, vnthankfulnesse is hatefull. 

Goe then Remembrance, tell that queene of Rea- 
son, 
— Fayre bride to Christ — the soule, her louer 

comes, 
Deckt in His wedding robes, and courts the season 
With choyce of pleasures, and with many sums 2 
Of sure deserts, inuites this wandring queene, 
To be as true as He^to her^hath beene. 3 

Ladie — quoth Hee — thy fortunes haue not won, 
My heart to loue, thy beauty cannot force Mee 
To wanton dotage ; what My care hath done, 
No time shall alter, no reports diuorce Mee ; 
For to My chaster flames thy zeale gaue fuell, 
And I will guard thee, if thou be not cruell. 



1 Misprinted ' furrow-drowned. ' G-. 

2 Misprinted i sinnes '. G-. 

3 Mat. 25, 1 : Keu. 21. 9, F. 



196 cheiste's eloodie sweat, 

No dower from thy treasuries I crane, 
No wanton dilliance in a bed of lust, 
Thy purenesse is the portion I would haue y 
Artie sse simplicitie and steedy trust : 

And if thou proue but constant to implore, 
Yertue with goodnesse, I will aske no more. 1 






Heere vowes the soule, virginity, and sweares 

Shee will bee only His, and means to doe it, 2 

Yntill distracted in her fleshly feares, 

She shrinkes from her first troth when she comes 
to it ; 
And like a strumpet false, shee heere forswore. 
That plighted promise she had made before. 



Simplicitie was woo'd by youthfull Lust, 
And would not yeeld : young Lust did fee old 
Sinne, 

Id Sin assaults Simplicitie, whose trust 
Thus to make lesse she trimly doth beginne : 

Faire daughter listen, time will come when thou] 
Shalt change thy hue, and be as I am now. 

Ynhealthie, old, forsaken, and despis'd, 

1 lead a life, who was adored then ; 



1 Reu. 16. 19. F. 2 Cant. 2. 16. F. 



ohhiste's bloodie sweat. 197 

Beautie amidst the croppe is only priz'd, 
Faire soules, * in youth, are chiefly lik'd of men ; 
But when my time did court me I for- went it, 
And lost my daies, and now I doe repent it. 

Daughter, wilt thou alone Hue ynpossest, 

Of youth's best ornaments and Nature's ioyes ? 

Wilt thou deny to be a mother, blest, 

In pretty daughters, and more pretty boyes ? 

no, had not our mothers tooke their lot, 
Wee had beene yet vnborne and vnbegot. 

Heauen hath ordained thee to be sweet on earth, 
Both loue and youth do homage to thine eyes ; 
And wilt thou curbe thyselfe of pleasure's mirth, 
By yainely striuing how to be precise ? 

She that hath fairenesse were as good haue none. 

If foolishly she keepe it all for one. 

Yet you forsooth young mistresse in the folly, 
Of standing on some pleasure-threatning text, 
Dreame of some great renowne, in being holly, 
Reade this, and that, and that, and what is next : 

1 In the original looks like { foules ' but surely 
' soules ' is meant — unless it be faire -foules, as, for 
example the ' fair ' yet * foul ' poppy, among the bladed 
grain, GL v 



198 chuiste's bloodie sweat. 

I know not what, and euer vainly plod, 
In hope to marry with the Sonne of God. 

No doubt : come yet, Fie tell a safer way, 
If you will needs to that ambition clime, 
Do it at last, but spend thy youth in play, 
Eeuell, enioy the freedome of the time : 

And when y'are old, vnfit for sport, bereauen 
Of youth and ioyes, then you may think on | 
heauen. 

Tush daughter, God respects thee in thine age, 
As well as in thy prime, and He will beare 
With flesh and blood ; l then seeke not to ingage, 1 
Best of delight, before delights do weare: 

And thou to God maist be — my words are truth— I 
As welcome in thine age, as in thy youth. 

Wonne is the soule with this, or rather lost, 
Sin's sweet temptation hath vndone the zone 
Of maiden chastitye, the feeld is lost, 
Lust hath preuailde and Christ is left a lone. 
For now the soule resolues that sports vnfold, 
Law 2 to the young, repentance fits the old. 



1 Eze[kiel) 18. 21, 22. F, 

2 Qu. love ? G. 



christe's blooms sweat. 199 

Tet thus that kinde good Grod will not giue oner, 
But once againe by parley doth attempt, 
To court this periur'd dame : and like a loner, 
Scorn' d of his lady from all hope exempt, 
Pittyes the shipwracke of her tainted name, 
And yet by mariage would recur e her fame. 

I know — quoth Christ— I lone thee, els I would 

not, 
Haue swim'd ynto the[e] in a sea of blood : 
More testifie My loue thou know'st I could not, 
Long haue I stroue to bring thy 1 soule to good : 
And witnesse here this crimson sweat, howe I, 
— soule of man — doe for thy 2 whoredomes dye. 

How often in My bosome did I sue 
To haue thee lodg'd, how often did I call thee 
From strange imbracements ; 3 from affections new, 
"Whose only surfeit did too soone inthrall thee ! 
And yet thou wouldst not come, till age bereft 

thee, 
Then I must take thee when all els haue left 
thee. 

When yeeres haue made thee all vnfit for action, 
WTien lust hath suckt thy marrow drye, and those 

1 Misprinted 'they.' G- 2 Misprinted ' the.' Gr. 
3 Luk[e] 12. 34. F. 



200 cheiste's eloodie sweat. 

"With whom thou hadst conspir'd in trothles f actio J 
Shall shun thy lewdnesse, and deride thy woes : 
To Mee thou then wilt come and I must hide, 
The knowne defects of thy declined prid : 

Call but to minde what 'tis to bee a whoore, 

A whoore ! the worst of creatures, trades her 1 

pleasures 
With all diseases, Hues till she be poore, 
Sels all to buy damnation, neuer measures 

Or shame, or health, but makes her bodie's mart ] 
Her soule's confusion ; such an one thou art. 1 

And though perhaps temptation might perswade I 

thee, 
That euen the winter of thine age shall finde, 
If thou repent, mercie from Him that made thee ; I 
Bee not secure, for thou shalt feele thy minde 

So farre deuided, so corruptly bent, 

As that 2 thou canst not if thou wouldst repent. I 

Eedeeme the poore remainder of thy daies, 
Deaden the life of thy lasciuious lust, 
Take pittie on thy selfe, forsake thy waies 
Of licorish bondage, hate what is unjust. 



1 Heb. 13. 4. F. 2 Misprinted 'when.' G, 



i 



ckriste's bloodie sweat. 201 

Be trew to my desires, when sin assaults, 
And Fie forget thy wrongs, forgiue thy faults. 1 

Did euer man speake thus ? was euer creature, 
In such a language courted, when the heat 
Of wilfull madnesse wrought the soule's defeature 
The God that should have punisht doth intreat : 
Hee in Whose power it is to scourge the sinner, 
With words of mildnesse doth assay to win her. 2 

Eeade in this morrall, if it may be term'd so, 
Christ's love, the soule's infection ; this is willing^ 
That wilfull, and eschues to be confirm' d so 
That from His love she may behold distilling 
A sweat of blood, as if His blood complaines 
To tell her of the horrors He sustaines. 

Guilt reades a lecture of her foule misdeeds, 
And bids her looke upon this streame of red, 
Layes to her view the speaking sweat that bleeds^ 
"When she lyes gasping on her death-full bed : 
And then her conscience summon' d to the doome 
Of Iudgement, hastes [oh ! hastes] vnto 3 her 
toombe. 



1 Eze[kiel] 18. 31. F. 2 Mat. 11. 28. F. 

3 Here * vnto ' is repeated by mistake. I fill in as 
supra. GL 



202 christe's bloodie sweat. 

When now— God she cries — and haue I liu'd, 
Ah shall I Hue no more ? Is grace and beautie, 
Yanisht so soone, of all respect depriu'd ? 
Must pompe and state renounce their wonted dutie ? 
Must my deuided soule contemn' d and lost, 
Surrender vp my short appalled ghost ? 



Inconstant fate, and wilt thou change thy course 
And leaue me to the terrors of my dread ? 
Can gold prolong no life ? Must life by force 
Be shadowed with the mines of the dead ? 
'Tis bad to die ; but oh, I feele the curse 
Of my owne conscience doth accuse mee worse 1 






Oh had I twentie thousand mints of treasure, 
Kingdoms to mor[t]gage, worlds within my power, 
I would giue all, but for a little leasure, 
A little little minute, one small hower, 

That I might sue for grace, from grace cast 
downe ; 
But oh, I see my angry, 2 God doth frowne. 

Bee not, be not mou'd Thou glorious Sonne, 
Time was when Thou didst sue to mee, I craue 
The bounty of Thy bloodie sweat ; and runne 



1 Ioh[n] 8. 9 : Rom. 2. 15. F. 

2 Misprinted ' anger/ G-. 



christe's bloodie sweat. 203 

"With confident assurance to my graue ; 

Thou art my spouse, I am Thy bride, esteeme 

mee, 
None but my Christ, none did but Hee redeeme 

mee. 

Heare I disclaime the follies of my will, 
Heare I returne the sinnes my frailties gaue mee : 
Heare I forsake my heart-inveigling ill, 
Heare fly I to His onlie blood did saue me : 
Mercie, mercie, I commend as euen 
My whoredomes to the dust, my soule to heauen 

Christ is appeas'd and where the soule is prest 
"With sence of knowinge shee hath done amisse, 
Asking for grace, shee is with grace redrest, 
Her case is pittied, shee for giuen is, 1 
But this so seldome hapneth and so rare, 
Scant two such soules amongst a million 2 are. 

Presumption leads the readie path to Hell 
For whilst wee looke on mercie, we forget 
The equallnes of Iustice, and compell 
Our soules to runne into a greater debt ; 
That God is mercifull, 'tis true, so must 
Our boldnes eke remember Hee is iust. 3 

1 Mat. 7. 7. F. 2 Printed as one word ' amillion.' G, 
3 Pro[verbs] 13. 10 : Rom, 11. 20, F, 



204 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Oft hath bin seene a woman who hath lou'd 

Some constant friend who[m] black mischance hath 

slain : 
How looking on his wounds shee hath bin mou'd 
To rent her haire and fatallie eomplaine, 
Cursing her birth and life, refraining food, 
Kissinge the silent murmur of his bloode. 

Weeping vppon his bodie, as if teares, 
Could make the gaping windowes that let in 
Vngentell Death, close vp, and then inferres : 
Wrech, wretched villiane ! could not such lookes 
win 
Eemorce in thy hard hart ! with manie words 
"Which then against the butcher, griefe affords. 

Can this a woman doe ? And should the [s]oule, 
Behold her louer, Christ slaine, not lamenting, 
Or should she entertaine a thought so foule, 
As to gaze vpon His wounds without repenting ; 
Should wanton carnall love so much deplore, 
And shall not true religion doe much more ? 

A soule which in the gospell reads the storie, 
Of Christ's most bloodie sweat, and deadly wounds 
Cannot, in rules of zeale, but be most sorie. 
Whilst sorrow mingled with remorce confounds 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 205 

Reason and senee, that spectacle to pittie, 
"Whilst both sigh out this lamentable dittie. x 

And art Thou dead ! and must mine eyes behold, 
The Lord of glorie crucifi'd for mec ? 
And is He de ad, is His sweet bodie cold ? 
Made earth with earth, and doe I Hue to see, 

The great acquittance of my debt discharg'd ? 

Seal'd with His blood, that I might be inlarg'd. 

Vnhappie hand that gaue the fatall stroke, 
Which wrought the subiect of my weeping eyes, 
But most vnhappie mee, who did prouoke 
"With blushlesse sinnes, the cause for which Hee 
dies. 2 
But I, if it were possible, would faine, 
"With kissing of His wounds, fetch life againe. 

Take heere the tribute of my mourning heart, 
A poore weake widowed soul's complaints remain- 
ing, 
Fit earnest of my death-desiring smart, 
Smarting in death, and dying in complaining : 
As my offences did my Sauiour peirce, 
So with my sorrowes will I decke His hearce. 3 

1 Iohn 20. 3. F. 2 Gal. 2. 1. F. 

3 Psalm 22. 16. F. 



260 cheiste's eloodie sweat. 

First I abiure all sin-contriuing thoughts, 
Heere I renounce each sin-inuiting word, 
Then eu'ry sin-effecting acte, which dotes 
On flesh, I will no more : let Heauen record, 
My fast indissoluble vowes, I striue 
For Christ alone, His yotarie to Hue. 

His wounds shall be my cloyster, heere inur'd 
Pie sequester my solace from the liuing : 
His drops of blood my beads, with which secur'd 
I'le scote 1 the prayers of my heart mis-giuing : 2 
My waxen taper, whose cleere light applies, 
Light to my blindnesse, shall be His faire eyes. 

My booke, the legend of His storie ; zeale, 
The incense I will offer vp ; contrition, 
My penance ; the confession I reueale, 
My guilt ; my hope the comforts of fruition ; 
His Spirit my confessor ; faith the gift, 
Which must absolue me, and His loue my shrift. 

Whiles on the alter of His innocence, 
I'le lay the poore oblation of my heart : 
His death shall be the pardon to dispence, 
With all my sins, set free in euery part : 



1 = plough up i. e. cover up, G. 

2 1 Pet, 2. 24. F. 



christe's bloodie sweat 207 

Ify teares the holy water, and the fires, 
To burne this sacrifice, my chaste desires. 

And now, my God, no day shall ouer-slip mee, 
But I will meditate on Thy great Passion ; 
My selfe-accusing conscience shall so whip mee, 
As I will need no other condemnation : 

Bee Thou but pleas'd to pittie those my feares, 
And eu'ry day I'le wet Thy tombe with teares, 

This, if a man can picke out time to doe, 

His conscience may assure him that he is 

A sanctifi'd creature, and cald to 

The happie tydings of eternall blisse : 

And thus he may be sure that for Christ's sake, 
Christ's bloodie sweat, he doth indeed partake. 

So he is purg'd with water, fed with blood, 
Begenerate in baptisme, and made whole 
By eating the Lord's Supper, tasting good 
In the repast ed 1 diet of his soule : 
Whereby those bloodie streames of sweat did 

staine 
The cheekes of Christ, were not all spent in 
vaine. 



1 Festive. G. 



208 chbjste's bloodie sweat. 

God will not thinke the heauinesse He felt 
Eiien to death, when He was man to vs, 
Paynes cast-away : bnt as in loue He dealt 
"With soule-endangered men by suffring thus ; 
Yet will He not repent, when He shall know 
"What thankfulnesse in heart we doe bestow. 1 

The crimson dye of His carnation red, 

Hath washt the soule in pnritie of white, 

The condnit of the water that He bled 

Hath dy'd the soule, in graine, of wisht delight : 2 

Water hath dy'd, and blood hath washt, 'tis 
strange, 

But true ; His vertue hathprocur'd this change. 

Nor is it strange, since the most curious eye 
That saw Him lead His solitary life, 
Whiles He was man on earth, could not espie 
One blemish in His actions, prone to strife, 
But all He spoke or did, was Wonder's theame, 
For euen the coate He wore was without seame. 3 

For euen the coate He wore was without seame, 
Implying His sinceritie and truth ; 
Vnmou'd in ioy, vndaunted in extreame, 

1 Psalm 50. 14. F. 2 Esay 2. 18. F. 

3 Ioh[n] 19. 23. F. 



cheiste's bloodie sweat. 209 

Nor fearing age, nor vainly spending youth : 
Louing where He was hated, ayming still 
To saue from death such as were bent to kill 

To saue from death such as were bent to kill : 
Hen bloodied in the feates of cruell hate, 
Of hatefull crueltie, and to fulfill 
The wrath and measure of a wofull state : 

Yet those with gentle sighes, and teares, His 
ayme, 

Stroue from the day of vengeance to reclaime. 

Stroue from the day of vengeance to reclaime ; 
A day of vengeance, when they shall behold 
His wounds, to Whom they gaue a deadly maime, 
Crying reuenge, and they themselues be sold. 
Ynto an heauie doome ; yet Christ, "Who saw it, 
"With meeke perswasions labour'd to withdraw 
it. 1 

With meeke perswasions labour'd to withdraw it, 
And taught them by example how to shun 
Death while they liu'd, who would not ouer- 

awe it, 

But headlong to their owne destruction run : 
Yet He, when no inuitement could intreat, 
Wept for their errors in His bloodie sweat. 

1 Zech. 13. 6. F. 2 1 Pet. 2. 21. F. 

L 



210 chkiste's bloobie sweat. 

"Wept for their errors in His bloodie sweat, 
His bloodie sweat, that crucifi'd delight, 
Delight, which all was smoother' d in a heat, 
An heat of passion, an unsollac't sight : 

Ynsollac't sight, when Hee with griefes repleat,! 

"Wept for sin's error in His bloodie sweat. 

Eyes were the instruments ordayn'd to weepe, 

But eyes in such a case mnst not suffice ; 

For His whole bodie did due order keepe ; 

It vndertooke the office of His eyes, 

That as His eyes His precious teares did waste, 
So did His heart bleed teares of blood as fast. 

Where in His sorrowes sadly did abound, 
'Not measur'd by compulsion, but free-will, 
That as His eyes, so might His heart be drown'd, 
Surcharged with burthens of amazing ill: 

And if His shedding teares His blood did paine, 
His drops of blood pai'd back His teares againe. 

His eye was but an echo to His heart, 
"Which answer' d euery accent of His woe, 
While both His eye and heart did beare a part, 
As said the one, the other echo'd so : 

6 Was euer man as I am ?' — quoth His eyes — 
1 1 am,' — alas ! — His heauie heart replyes. * 

1 Lamen. 3. 1. F. 



chkiste's bloodie SWE1T. 211 

His eyes cry out in teares, cruell paine ! 
cruell paine, His heart saies ! — quoth His eyes — 
And must I then be slaine ? I must be slaine, 
Answers His heart ; His eyes, Ah let me die, 
Me die, His heart ; His eyes dye, dye content, 
I die content, His heart ; thus both consent. 

Not like the fawning of some subtile queane, 
Some Dalilah, 1 that flatters and beguiles, 
Knowing Art's rule, how to abuse the meanes 
To laugh in teares, and both to weepe in smiles ; 
Christ could not doe so, He wept teares in deed, 
Such teares as 'twas all one to weepe or bleed. 

He wept not to deceiue, but to reuiue ; 

He bleeded not in shew, but bled in proofe : 

Not like the crocadile, life to depriue, 

But gaue such life, as nere was, not aloof e : 
He wept, He bled, He bled, He wept a flood, 
Blood in His teares, and water in His blood. 

Weeping and bleeding for offending men 

His bloodie sweat in agonies so fitted, 

As for His enemies He groned then, 

So for His owne, and sins by both committed : 
His enemies conceiu'd a fatall loathing, 
His owne per-ceiuing all, con-ceiued nothing. 

1 Iudg. 6. 4. F. 



212 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Those few Apostles who had heard Him teach, 
And knew Him to be God's begotten sonne, 
They 'mongst whom He euery day did preach, 
Seeing the miracles that He had done : 

Were weake in faith, in ynderstanding dull, 
Poore in their plentie, steru'd with being full. 

Blindnesse so farre their ignorance did tempt, 
With weaknesse of belief e — ambition's feast — 
As knowing Christ was come, yet still they 

dreamt 
Of pettie kings, or being dukes at least : 

Supposing Christ's spirituall kingdome's mirth 
Contain'd a goodly kingdome here on earth. 

And as the Anti- Christian throne is now 
Propt vp with scarlet robes and triple crownes, 
To vassaile princes' rights, and so allow 
All as it likes, or hates, with smiles or frownes ; 
Commanding, "forcing, with his proud decree : 
Such did they hope the throne of Christ should 
bee. 

f For when the Lord had finisht now His errant, 
[ Eeturning to His Father that had sent Him, 
Sealing His power with His death's strict warrant, 
"When neither Hell nor'Sathan could preuent Him : 



christe's bloodie sweat. 213 

Yet dreamt they on, and said Lord— as before — 
Wilt Thou Thy kingdom now to vs restore 1 . 

Could this but breed His griefe, when He foresaw 
Peter's deniall, His Apostles scattered ? 2 
His owne to feele the rigour of the Law, 3 
Zeale cold, faith dead, hope lost, frailtie batter' d : 

Deuisions breeding, kings aspiring great ? 

All these, and such like brought His bloodie 
sweat. 

For shortly He beheld the comming curse, 
Ypon the Sacred Scripture's commentaries, 
How, though the Iewes were nought, a people 

worse, — 
Whose studies were the deuil's seminaries, — 
Should make the name of Iesus the disguise 
Of countenancing impudence and lyes. 4 

Such, like a nose of waxe, doe wrest the Word 
To colour sinne, and hellishly peruert 
Christ's sacred Gospell ; whiles with one accord, 
They boast the glorie of their owne desert : 
Damning the simple 5 and the poore in minde, 

1 Acts 1. 6. F. 2 Luk[e] 22. 57. F. 

3 Ioh[n] 16. 32. F. 4 Mat. 24. 23. 24. F. 

5 Misprinted 'simpe'. G. 



214 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

As serues their lusts, ' Blinde guides to lead the 
blinde.' 

All those the Lord foresaw, and gron'd in Spirit 
Sweated in blood, was heauie to the death, 
That so His precious passion, blamelesse merit 
Should be abus'd ; that He had giuen His breath, 
His life, His ghost, His soule, yet could not win 
Such wretched creatures from inchanting sin. 

Inchanting shine, that with its cunning charmes 
Luis men in deathfull sleepes, and slily makes 
Impostum'd vlcers of unsenced harmes, 
Hockes them in lethargies, 1 and neuer wakes 
Reason to feele, the bane-impotion'd wrath, 
Which by such dead securitie it hath. 

This was the cause that from our Saviour drew 
A bloodie sweat, so grieuous to be borne, 
As did the eyes of cruell men but view, 
How with this bloodie tempest He was worne, 
Humane compassion could not choose but melt, 
To thinke vpon the sorrowes which He felt. 

]No measure did His payned soule acquaint 
"With ease or respite, no arithmeticke 

1 Prov. 2. 10. F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 215 

Cast vp the summe of His vnheard complaint, 
No heart conceiue the dolours that did pricke 
With fiery stings, His manhood, and appall, 
His face with streames, which hurst in twain 
His gall. 

For 1 as a riuer running in a round, 
Hauing no vent or sluce to slide away, 
Will make, by force, eruptions in the ground, 
Drowne all the neighbour-land, and neuer stay, 
Till with a violent course and headlong rage, 
It slacke his strength, and of it selfe asswage. 

Euen so the tide of many griefes abounding, 
Sweld in the bosome of the Sonne of God, 
Still growing to a head, and still confounding 
His fraile mortalitie — deepe horror's rod — 

Till bursting foorth with might and furie great, 
It drown' d His bodie in a bloodie sweat. 

Who euer saw— -as often hath beene seene — 
A shoure of blood, but thought it did portend 
Some doome of Iudgment, or some angry teene, 3 
Of heauen's incensed King ? So heere the end 



1 Misprinted ' for,' F. 

2 = misfortune, grief. G. 



216 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Of this strange bloodie raine, doth shew in \ 

briefe, 
How shortly Christ was to be wrapt in griefe. j 

The pangs of death, th' 'ntollerable paines, 
Which wofull creatures were to vndergoe, 
The man Christ-Iesus, in this sweat sustaines ; 
Consuming wrath, and soule-deuouring woe 
He felt, that He, vs men might timely free, 
Prom God's vnchanging and diuine decree. 

JSTot that His death could abrogate the will, 
Of His great Father, for He aym'd not to it, 
But that in death He wholly might fulfill 
The eternall Iustice, as Hee came to doe it : 
Who as Hee, death from men for sin required, 
Had in His Son's death, more than death de- 
sired. 

Yet neither did the death or bloodie sweate 
Of Christ, extend to soules ordain'd to Hell : 
But to the chosen and elect beget, 
A double life, although the Scriptures tell 

How this meeke Lambe of God did chiefly come, 
To call the lost sheep and the strayers home. l 



1 Mat 9. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 13. F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 217 

Looke how the blessed doe pertake the good 
— Sweete pledge of bountie, precious seale of ioyes — 
Which issues from His Water and His Blood, 
So both alike the reprobate destroy es : 

God's mercies to the righteous, to His foes 
Are iustice, to augment their en[d]lesse woes. 

When Isack's seede fled from the Egyptian force, 
And through the Eed Sea tooke the readie way, 
The waters stood on heapes, and staid their course, 
Both waues and windes the passage did obey i 1 
And in those waters safely past on ground, 
In which, whiles Pharaoh follow' d, he was 
drown' d. 2 

Whereby, as water sau'd the Lord's Elect, 
And led them through the terrors of the deepe, 
So water, to them of a deu'lish sect, 
Prou'd sodaine death, and neuer- waking sleepe : 

Christ's bloodie sweat is that Bed Sea whose 
power 

Secures the good, and doth the bad deuoure. 3 

The Cloude and Fierie Piller that gaue light, 
Vnto the children, in the desert plaines ; 

1 Psal. 78, 13. F. 2 Exo[dus] 14. 28. F. 

3 1 Cor. 10. 1, 4. F. 



218 cheiste's bloodie sweat, 

The one by clay, the other shin' d by night, 
Guiding their iournies, comforting their paines : 
Were to the hoast of Egypt, mistes obscure 
To blinde their eyes and certain death procure. 1 

Which burning Pillar, and which shining Cloud, 

Is Christ, 2 vnto Whose blood such are baptiz'd, 

As by the Holy Spirit are allow' d ; 

When otherwise, all such as are despis'd ; 
Are darkned in the comforts of their sight, 
And loose the glorie of this holy light. 

A greater light 3 more holy and diuine, 
Surpassing all the splendour of the sun, 
Could neuer to the eyes of mortals shine, 
Then this most sacred Blood, which hath vndon, 
And laid to publick view the mount of Euill, 
Which both was fram'd and colourd by the Deuill. 

In after-times, when in the Winter's cold, 
Folkes vse to warme them by their nightly fires ; 
Such parents as the time of life termes old, 
Wasting the season, as the night requires : 



1 Exo[dus] 13. 21 : 14. 20. F. 

2 Cor. 10. 4. F. 

3 Misprinted 'high' G. 



ceeiste's bloodie sweat. 219 

In stead of tales, may to their children tell, 
What to the Lord of glorie once befell, 

Once, may they say — my childe — a time there was, 
"When men were beasts, so cruelly they liu'd, 
As they did nights and dayes in pleasure passe, 
Like some of reason and of sence depriu'd : 
~Not fearing God, or loning man, giu'n ore, 
To Inst and will, as beasts could doe no more. 

The naughtie Deuill slylie did intice 
By sensnall sports and pittilesse deceits, 
Our weake fore-fathers to insnaring vice ; — 
Masking his tyrannie with wanton baites : 

And wee, in them, did euery thing he wil'd vs, 
Till the foule feind — my childe — had almost kild 



But straight, when our good God Almightie saw, 
How neere ynto the Pit-hole wee were brought, 
For being not obedient to His Law, 
He forthwith of a remedie bethought : 1 

And Hee to saue vs from this wicked Feind, 
His onely Sonne into the world did send. 

A louely Sonne — my childe— a daintie boy, 
Who had a cheeke as red as any cherie ; 

1 Eph. 1. 9, 10. F. 



220 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

Sweete babie, was His mother's only ioy, 
And made her heauie heart full often merie : 

Who, though He was God's Son, yet like a 
stranger, 

Hee in a stable borne was, in a manger. 1 

And poore, God knowes He was, — my childe — not 
fine, 

Or like a gentleman in gay attyre : 

But simple clothes, Hee had, which was a signe 

How little to be proud, Hee did desire : 

Yet if Hee would haue sought for worldly grace, 
Hee might haue gone in silke, and golden lace. 

"When He was twelue years old — marke this my 

child— 
Hee was a perfect scholer, and did pose 
Great learned clarkes, and doctors, but so milde 
As Hee would neuer chide, but rather chose 
To teach then anger, and one might perswade 

Him 
To doe whats'uer any bodie bad Him. 2 

Thirtie good yeares and odde, this blessed man, 
Liu'd on the earth ; in all which time He seem'd 
So comfortlesse, with lookes so pale and wan, 

1 Luk[e] 2. 7. F. 2 Luk[e] 2. 46. F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 221 

As if He had not bin by men esteem' d: 

Full many an hungry meale He made, and lay, 
Bare leg'd and bare-foote many a day. l 

He neuer laugh' d but He did euer-more, 
Weepe, weepe continually ; and — my child — 
He neuer did none harme ; He holpt the poore, 
Cur'd the 2 diseased, and such as were beguild 
"With witches, and with wicked things— God 

blesse vs — 
He droue them from vs when they would oppres 
vs. 

And Hee made much of children, 3 and did good 
To euery one, yet wicked men did striue 
To take away His life, and shed His blood, 
While yet this blessed Iesus was aliue, 
And on a time, He was so much dismaid, 
Hee sweated blood, as He His prayers said. 4 

Eut what is worse then this — hard-hearted Iewes — 
Did hang this good good man vpon the crosse, 
jNayling His feet and hands, and did misuse 
This gentle soule, whom they did fiercely tosse 



1 Luk[e] 8. 23. F. 2 Misprinted 'thf G. 

3 Mat. 19. 14. F. 4 Luk[e] 22. 44. F. 



222 chkiste's bloodie sweat. 

From post to pillar, and would not be still' d, 
Yntill they had this, our Eedeemer kill'd. 

Heere now, may bee, the prettie childe will weepe, 
And aske his parents why they vs'd Him so ; 
To which they may reply, that God did keepe, 
His soule aliue, though life He did forgoe : 

For Christ — my childe — so dy'd, then may they 
tell, 

That euery one might be redeem'd from Hell. 

Might much be added more, to spend the howers, 
In better leasure then an anticke tale : 
Teaching the sillie hearers how the powers, 
Aboue reseru'd vs from the Demi's sale : 

"Whom had not Christ, His blood, regain' d the 
wrath 

Of life, all vs lost, sin had sold to death. 

Come then, sad Patron of this bloodie sweat, 
And with Thine euerlasting comforts cherish 
Ynfenced Faith, which daily is beset 
With treasons, which intice the soule to perish : 
In the delicious bath of Blood and Water, 
Cleance leporous soules, and HePs dominion 
batter. 

And here, my God, the glorious Sonne of Peace, 



cheiste's bloodie sweat . 223 

I close the musicke of my weeping song : 
And further to enlarge Thy sorrowes cease, 
Beseeching that Thy Spirit may be strong, 

To moue my heart, and gently to commit 

To meditations, all the lines I writ. 

Let not the frailtie of my youth misled, 
Be once rernembred in the day of grace ;* 
Let not the bloodie drops, which Thou hast bled, 
Condemne me guiltie ; let Thy wounds deface, 
The wounds of mine infection, now begin, 
Throughly to wash mee from mine odious sin. 2 

The howres and daies, which I haue spent in Yaine, 
In fruitlesse studies, and inuentiue pleasure, 
Redeeme, Christ, and call them backe againe, 
Doe not in iudgment, mine offences measure, 
But in Thy mercies hide my faults ; protect 
My sighes, let Thy loue couer my defect. 

Heere, Sauiour of the world, worke that I may 
Begin to Hue anew ; and in this theame 
Of Thy sad bloodie sweat, learn out the way 
Of life indeed, and wake mee from the dreame 

"Wherein my soule long slept, and felt the ter- 
rour 

Of double two apprenticeships to errour. 

1 Psal. 55. 7. F. 2 Psal. 51. 2. F. 



224 cheiste's bloodie sweat. 

And now, my God, if I discharged haue 
This imposition of Thine heanenly taske, 
Some token of thy heing pleased I craue, 
Some certaine knowledge of Thy will I aske r 1 
For heanen, and angels with my soule record , 
I no way haue traduced the written Word. 

No malice to detract from rules of State, 
No singular conceit to purchase fame, 
No pointing at some person, neither hate 
To any priuate wrongs, haue made me name 
The plurisies of sin, but as Thy sweat, 
All sins hath purg'd, all sins I did repeat. 

For which, as first Thy Spirit did inuite, 
In holy rapt ares to aduance my minde 
Prom earthly slime, of holy things to write ; 
So hauing written, likewise let mee finde 
Of Thy most precious priuilidge, some token 
To grace the truth of all that hath bin spoken. 

Heere, in the pensiue solace of my soule 
Me thought, a soft coole winde did gently breath, 
As if my spirit were now transported whole 
Ynto another life from carnal death : 



1 Iud[ges] 6. 37. F. 



chkiste's bloodie sweat. 225 

When straight a shining light perfum'd the 

roome, 
Out of which light, a whispring voyce did come. 

Eest there — it said — and toyle thee now no more, 
Knit yp the period of thy trembling stile j 
And learne to Hue, not as thou didst before, 
But in a smoother course, and I the while, 

Will teach thee how thou shalt attaine the place 
Where quiet soules doe end their happie race. 

For since thou hast with such a modest care, 
— Although thy verse doe want the grace of words — 
Limn'd out My wounds, and told them as they are 
So liuely as thy simple skill affords : 

I'le take thy meaning in the better part, 
And for Thine offring will accept thy heart. 2 

May be some wandring eye that shall suruey, 
This wonder of My Sweat, in those thy numbers, 
Will take a truce with time, and shake away 
Prom off his soule, the lusts wherein it slumbers : 
Then hast thou hid a multitude of sin, 
If all thy paines, one soule from mine win. s 

1 This recalls the later narrative of Edward, Lord 
Cherbury, which I give on page 228. G. 

2 Mar[k] 22. 43. F. 3 Iam[es] 5. 20. F. 



226 

And blessedly hereafter shall succeed, 
Thy studies and thy labours, if thou shunne, 
The path that thou hast trode, and wilt ta^e heed, 
To vndoe the many follies thou hast done : 
For if thou haue respect vnto My Lawes, 
Before My Father I will plead thy cause . 

But thou, marke well these words ; a time shall 

bee 

When reason shall beate down the force of might, 
And Nature's sonnes shall wish for peace, but see 
Th' effect of blood, and feele the scourge of fight, 
Now vnrespected, and not felt : but men 
Shall, what they had vnprais'd, remember then. 

Happie the soule that sleeps in peace, and thou, 
Provide against such daies, watch, fast, and craue 
A dissolution, and prepare thee how, 
Thy conscience may be furnisht for thy graue : * 
Nor doe repute it for a fabling ieste, 
"Which sayes, Good conscience is a daily feast. 

Feast on in that, and henceforth to secure, 
In strength of faith : let all thy cares be eas'd 
By bathing in My Blood, and fountaine pure 



1 Philpppians] 2 [15 et seqq.} F. 



christe's bloodie sweat. 227 

Of this My Sweate, and I in this am pleas' d : 
Rest thou, for loe, the angels in their rankes, 
Waite My returne : thy labour be thy thankes. 

Yp flew the light, and silence shew'd the voyce 
Betir'd to stillnesse ; which depriu'd my sence 
Of all the glory of that heauenly noyse, 
Which with such sweet content departed thence : 
Forthwith, my soule, her wonted habit 1 tooke, 
And I seal'd vp my comforts in a booke. 2 

1 It may be noted that Mr. Collier in Bibl. Account, 
as before, reckons 319 stanzas. This is incorrect ; there 
are only 318. I must also, for my own sake, remark that 
his quotations from " Christ e's Bloodie Sweat " are Mod- 
ernized in the orthography. G. 
2 Misprinted ' babit \ G. 




NOTE. 

As stated in foot-note on page 225, I give here a short 
extract from Lord Herbert's curiously corresponding 
account of his final decision to publish his Be Veritate. 
Having mentioned that he had sent his manuscript to 
Grotius and Tieleners, he proceeds: "I must confess 
it did not a little animate me, that the two great persons 
above mentioned did so highly value it, yet, as I knew it 
would meet with much opposition, I did consider whether 
it was not better for me a while to suppress it. Being 
thus doubtful in my chamber, one fair day in the summer, 
my casement being towards the south, the sun shining 
clear, and no wind stirring, I took my book, De Veritate, 
in my hand ; and, kneeling on my knees, devoutly said 
these words: ' thou eternal God, author of the light which 
now shines upon me, and giver of all inward illuminations, 
I do beseech thee, of thy infinite goodness, to pardon a 
greater request than a sinner ought to make ; I am not 
satisfied enough whether I shall publish this book, De 
Veritate; if it be for thy glory, I beseech thee give me 
some sign from heaven; if not, I shall suppress it.' I 
had no sooner spoken these words, but a loud, though 
gentle, noise came from the heavens — for it was like 
nothing on the earth — which did so comfort and cheer 
me, that I took my petition as granted, and that I had 
the sign I demanded, whereupon also I resolved to print 
my book. This, how strange soever it may seem, I pro- 
test before th§ eternal God is true ; neither am I any 
way superstitiously deceived herein, since I did not only 
clearly hear the noise, but in the serenest sky that ever 
I saw, being without all cloud, did, to my thinking, see 
the place from whence it came." Comment is needless. 
Fine credulousness of Incredulity — for I will not say 
infidelity. G. 



iil %, Small Aiftitimt. 




N themselves the following commendatory 
lines prefixed to " Salmacis and Herma- 
phroditvs" (1602) assigned to Francis 
Beaumont the Dramatist — are of no great moment : 
hut I rather think they helong to our Fletcher. 
In the original edition they are suhscribed A. F. : 
but in the edition of 1640 they are altered to I. F. 
Mr. Collier, as before, imagines that this change 
was made as if to show that John Fletcher had 
" borne testimony " to the " authorship and excel- 
lence " of the poems. But that is a mere surmise. 
It would seem, as Mr. Dyce pertinently suggests 
(Beaumont and Fletcher Vol. xi., p. 445), that 
the Manuscript had in the interval been obtained 
by the publisher, Blaiklock, and that these and 
other initial corrections and the like, were made 
from it. Be this as it may, as the lines have not 
been claimed for John Fletcher — as indeed they 
could not be, seeing the friendship between him 
and Beaumont must have been many years subse- 
quent — I give a place to them here — from the 



230 A SMALL ADDITION. 

after-change of A. F. into I. F. — as by our Joseph 
Fletcher. 

TO THE AUTHOR. 

The matchlesse lustre of faire poesie, 
"Which erst was bury'd in old Rome's decayes, 
Now 'gins with height of rising maiesty, 
Her dust- wrapt head from rotten tombes to rays, 
And with fresh splendor gilds her toplesse creste, 
Rearing her palace in our poet's brest. 

The wanton Ouid, whose inticing rimes 
Haue with attractiue wonder forc't attention, 
No more shall be admir'd at : for these times 
Produce a poet, whose more mouing passion 
"Will teare the loue sick mirtle from his browes, 
T' adorne his temple with deserued bowes. 

The strongest marble feares the smallest rayne : 
The rusting canker eates the purest gold : 
Honour's best dye dreads enuie's blackest stayne : 
The crimson badge ol beauty must waxe old. 
But this faire issue of thy fruitfull brayne 
Nor dreads age, enuie, cankring rust or rayne; 



CHARLES TIPLADY, PRINTER, BLACKBURN. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




003 922 7113 ^ 



